Agency provides water, sanitation facilities in 20,000 Nigerians communities

The UNICEF Chief of WASH, Mr. Kannan Nadar, made the fact known in Abuja on Thursday during a meeting on Capacity Assessment of Selected States and Local Governments Areas in Nigeria.

Nadar said that communities were drawn from 98 local government areas from 19 states participating in the project.

He said that the step was aimed at attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number six, which is on water and sanitation.

Nadar said that it would assist the country to reduce the child and maternal mortality rate and improve education enrolment, particularly in the rural areas.

‘’Saving children’s lives by improving sanitation, hygiene and access to clean water is our target,’’ he said.

He highlighted some of the challenges to the delivery of safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation in Nigeria.

According to him, the major challenge is the lack of much commitment on the part of policy makers to make adequate budgetary provision on water and sanitation by some state governments.

Nadar urged state governments to intensify efforts in making adequate budgetary provisions to the sector to achieve the set target.

‘’With more commitment of state governments, we will continue to reach many communities until we achieve the SDGs on water and sanitation,’’ he said.