FG, UNICEF provide water to 1m rural dwellers in North East

The Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has executed a project which enhanced access to potable water for about one million people in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Mr Jonathan Ekhato, disclosed this during the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) – Acceleration to Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA) II programme and local plan meeting held in Gombe.

According to him, the intervention which yielded positive results in six local government areas of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe is being executed with UNICEF and the Government of the Netherlands.

Ekhato revealed that the benefiting communities are Guyuk and Jada in Adamawa; Magumeri and Big in Borno; Gaidam and Fune in Yobe; adding that about 880,000 persons had stopped open defecation practices and adopted the use of safe and hygienic toilet facilities in the communities.

According to him, Biu, Guyuk, and Jada are being declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) by the National Task Group (NTGS).

“The intervention has reduced the outbreak of waterborne diseases, through the construction of 500 new water points and rehabilitated 1,000 others while 54 schools and 38 healthcare facilities accessed basic WASH services,” he said.

On his part, the Director of Water Resources at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Nicholas Dumebi, emphasised the need for a sustainability plan to build on the gains achieved.