By Ifeanyi Uwagwu/Jumai Nwachukwu
The Delta State Ministry of Water Resources, in collaboration with the State Sustainable Urban and Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme, held a one-day state-level sensitisation workshop with media professionals and Civil Society Organisations to advance Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in the state, yesterday.
Flagging the workshop open, the Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Dr Isaac Wilkie, who was represented by the functioning permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr. Kenneth Ozegbe, urged participants to pay rapt attention for a robust interactive session and to proffer creative ways to drive the water trilemma of access, affordability and sustainability.
In his welcome address, the Environment Officer, Engr Bright Akpodonor, mentioned that the workshop was imperative to strengthen the partnerships between the WASH programme, CSOs and the media professionals for improved communication and advocacy.
“Despite the progress we have made under the SURWASH program, gaps remain in awareness creation, behavioural training, information dissemination and community ownership. CSOs and the media occupy strategic positions in bridging these identified gaps”.
CSOs serve as the voice of communities, while the media serves as the voice of communities, and the media drives public opinion, shapes narratives and influences policy direction. Strengthening their capacity ensures that correct information reaches the right people at the right time, enabling citizens to make informed decisions and actively participate in sustaining WASH services”, he said.
The Director, Planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry, Mr John Imilar, spoke to participants on the Role of the Ministry, which includes drawing up of the Policy Institutional and Regulatory (PIR), strengthening institutions and developing a legal, policy and operational framework for urban water supply.
He also mentioned that plans were already in place to establish WASH departments in Local Government Areas, with adequate budget allocation and release, while stating that the ministry also played a vital role in the establishment of a functioning urban sanitation authority.
There was also a session on the role of the media in promoting sustainable WASH delivery which was delivered by the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State council, Comr Churchill Oyowe, while the third session, which bordered on the role of Civil Society Organisations in WASH sustainability, was taken by Pst Robert Osahon.
Implementing partners of the SURWASH programme, including the Delta State Urban Water Corporation (DESUWACO), Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STOWASSA) and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) also intimated participants about their roles in promoting the WASH programme.
Recall that the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) Program is a World Bank-financed initiative in Nigeria aimed at improving access to clean water and sanitation services. The program seeks to provide basic drinking water to six million people, improve sanitation for 1.4 million people, and deliver improved WASH facilities in 2,000 schools and health centres in Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Plateau, Kaduna and Gombe states. Six Local Government Areas in Delta State were earmarked for the pilot stage. They include Bomadi, Ndokwa West, Ukwuani, Isoko South, Okpe and Ughelli North.
