Kaduna, Nigeria– The Kaduna State Government has said that about 7.5 million residents are expected to benefit from the World Bank-supported Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme in the state.
The six-year (2022-2027) project would provide clean water and sanitation services to the beneficiaries in the state.
Social Safeguard Consultant, SURWASH, Mr. Leonell Echa, who said this at the opening of a two-day training and inauguration of Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs) in Kaduna on Tuesday explained that a total of 6.1 million people would be provided with clean drinking water services while 1.4 million would be provided with improved sanitation services.
According to him, 2,000 public schools and healthcare facilities would be provided with improved water sanitation and hygiene facilities as well as supporting 500 communities to attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
The objective of the programme was to increase access to WASH services and strengthen sectoral institutions in seven pilot states which are Kaduna, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, and Plateau.
To him, “the SUREWASH programme was designed to enact necessary policy reforms and enhance the capacity of institutions required for effective and sustainable service delivery in urban rural areas and small towns.
“This includes the development of priority infrastructure to improve water supply and WASH infrastructure in institutions such as schools and healthcare facilities as well as markets and motor packs,” he said.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator in the state, Mr. Esau Ambinjah, the programme was being piloted in six (Soba, Sabon Gari, Chikun, Igabi, Jema’a, and Jaba) out of the 23 local government areas in the state.
He explained that the benefiting LGAS were selected after the declaration of interest and adjudged to be the best among the others.
He added that the two-day training was part of efforts to mobilise critical stakeholders and community members toward the success of the programme.
On her part, a Social and Gender Expert, Mrs. Jummai Ibrahim, added that the training was also organised to deliberate on gender perspectives and gender-based violence that may arise in the course of the implementation of the programme.
“The Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) members who are members of the communities would be providing a voice for beneficiaries of the project, resolving environmental and social related complaints, reducing the likelihood of escalation of grievances and promoting ‘do no harm’,” she said.
