FG inaugurates committee on clean Nigeria programme

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday inaugurated the Steering Committee for implementation of the Clean Nigeria, Use The Toilet Campaign.

In a virtual meeting with the Minister of Water Resources, and his counterparts from the Health, Education, and Women Affairs, who are part of the Committee, the Vice President expressed worry that public places still have low access to water and sanitation facilities.

According to Osinbajo, the steering committee is expected to coordinate activities at the three tiers of government toward ending open defecation practice by 2025.

While commending the stakeholders’ commitment, especially those of the private sector, the Vice President stressed the need for a high level political commitment from state governments to improve WASH services in the country.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, who said that a secretariat had been set up to coordinate the activities, noted that the committee members would meet bi-annually.

He said they would also take stock of all activities and monitor progress of the Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet campaign.

“Today, Nigeria and other countries of the world are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, which is ravaging the entire globe.

“It has been established that people who lack access to safe water, hand washing with soap and adequate sanitation facilities are unable to adequately practice proper hygiene and are particularly vulnerable to the spread.

“There is no better time to address the issues of WASH, particularly ending open defecation in Nigeria than now,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee also has representatives of the organised private sector on WASH, the National Orientation Agency and the civil society organisations.

By Tosin Kolade