The Akwa Ibom State government has launched action towards the attainment of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Open Defecation Free (ODF) roadmap in 2030.
This followed the development of a draft State Action Plan (SAP), complete with resolutions expected to guide government efforts in improving WASH services across the 31 local government areas of the state.
This was part of a two-day maiden WASH training workshop for the 31 local government areas organised by the state Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation held in Uyo, the state capital.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the draft SAP comes on the heels of the recent State Executive Council (SEC) ratification of three major WASH documents including the state WASH Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework as well as Roadmap for Making Akwa Ibm State Open Defecation Free by 2030.
Addressing the forum, the Commissioner of Water Resources and Sanitation, Hon. Ubuo Ubuo, explained that the three ratified documents in addition to the Akwa Ibom State Water Resources Sector Management and Regulation Law 2022, were crucial for the reforms in the WASH sector in terms of governance and infrastructure provisions.
Ubuo said the documents provided roles and responsibilities, created and established structures at state, local and community levels among other provisions for effective management of WASH activities in the state.
He noted that, “The ARISE agenda of the present administration emphasises the importance of improving access to basic services, including water and sanitation, saying that the workshop is designed to equip Local Government leaders and stakeholders with the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to strengthen their WASH governance and service delivery.”
He added that this would ultimately contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 6- Clean Water and Sanitation.
“By prioritising people, participation and accountability, we can ensure that our WASH initiatives are responsive to community needs, inclusive and sustainable.
“I am confident that this workshop will be a significant milestone in our journey towards revitalising the WASH sector in Akwa Ibom State. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of our deliberations and working together to implement the State Action Plan that will emerge from the workshop,” he stressed.
In his keynote address, the Head of the Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, underscored the importance of effective WASH governance in the LGAs.
In order to achieve the action, Essien advocated for “a demand-driven bottom-up approach, community-led total sanitation, capacity building, partnerships and collaborations, monitoring and evaluation, and decentralisation as key implementation strategies.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Africa Human Development Centre (AHDC), Prof. Gabriel Umoh lauded the state government for acceeding to several years of campaigns and advocacies for the implementation of the policy.
He commended the media and other WASH sector stakeholders for being at the forefront in driving the campaigns towards the desired action by government.
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