Stakeholders at a one day policy dialogue have called for measures that will enhance women participation in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH Programmes in the country.
They made the call in Abuja at a dialogue organised by the FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency RUWASSA in Partnership with Network of Female Professionals in WASH.
The policy dialogue presented and discussed ways to utilize the findings of the FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, WASHMATA Initiative and the Bank of Industry study on sustainability of water supplies.
The Executive Director FCT RUWASSA,Dr Mohammed Dan-Hassan who explained that the project was targeted at bringing positive changes in the rural communities stressed that once the issue of water sanitation and Hygiene are addressed, there would be positive impact on other sustainable goals.
Dan-Hassan said as part of efforts to address issues of environmental hygiene, FCT RUWASSA embarked on key programmes to tackle open defecation and other sanitation challenges.
On her part, the chairperson Network of Female Professionals Dr Boluwaji Onabolu observed that a recent survey indicated a decrease in access to basic drinking water from 70% in 2019 to 67% in 2021.
Dr Onabolu emphasized that the only way to achieve major Sustainable Development Goals was by having access to basic drinking water.
According to her, poor sustainability in Water Supply infrastructure is also responsible for slow pace to access to basic drinking water and that there is a low level of non- functionality of water points.
She also attributed the situation to absence of women in WASH Programmes.
The Representative of the Environmental Council of Nigeria, Kucheli Augustine while pledging the support of the council to the project, called for a spread of the study to other states and local government areas.
By Ifeanyi Osita,Edited by Grace Namiji