Oyo Inaugurates SURWASH Steering C’ttee To Strengthen Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Delivery

The Oyo State Government has inaugurated the Oyo State Sustainable Urban and Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OYO-SURWASH) Steering Committee as part of efforts to ensure effective implementation of the newly signed and adopted Oyo State Urban Sanitation Policy.

The inauguration, which took place at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Conference Hall, was presided over by the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Ademola Aderinto, who also serves as chairman of the Committee.

Speaking, Aderinto explained that the committee was established to ensure the realisation of the objectives and gains of the OYO-SURWASH Programme.

He emphasised that water supply, sanitation and hygiene were collective responsibilities that required an inter ministerial and multi stakeholder approach, rather than being left solely to the Ministry of Environment.

He added that SURWASH program provides an investment driven framework capable of attracting collaboration, improving sanitation and delivering meaningful benefits to residents through improved public health, well being, productivity and life expectancy.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Sunday Akinwale Moradeyo, serves as Vice Chairman, while the Director  Environmental Health Services/Sanitation, Sanitarian Areo Bukola Oluseun, is the Secretary of the Committee.

 Membership comprises commissioners and representatives of relevant stakeholder ministries and agencies, non governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector, reflecting the government’s commitment to inclusive participation and coordinated action in achieving sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services across the state.

The managing director of Zero degree and Solutions Limited and representative of the Oyo State Young Professionals Programme(YPP) on the Steering Committee, Mr. Abduganiyu Abdulateef Olanrewaju, commended the state government for the initiative, reaffirming the commitment of private sector partners to support the successful implementation of OYO-SURWASH.

He disclosed that his organisation had been collaborating with the state government on projects aimed at improving public sanitation, including the provision of public toilet facilities across the state.

He further revealed that the government had recently approved the construction of over 40 units of public toilets across the five geopolitical zones of Oyo State, noting that implementation would commence soon as part of efforts to achieve the objectives of the OYO-SURWASH Programme.

In their separate goodwill messages, representatives of the commissioners present pledged their respective ministries’ and agencies’ commitment to contributing their quota towards the successful implementation of the policy and the effective discharge of the committee’s mandate.