Taraba to benefit from E- WASH 500,000 families access to portable water by 2022- Official

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s E-WASH programme on Thursday said it would provide 500,000 families in six states of the country with clean and portable water by 2022.

The Advocacy and Strategic Communication Adviser of Effective water Sanitation and Hygiene Services (E-WASH) program Abdulsalam Badamasi, disclosed this at a three day media roundtable organised by USAID in conjunction with Taraba Water Supply Agency for journalists in Jalingo.

According to him, E -WASH is a four year intervention in Imo, Sokoto, Taraba, Abia, Niger and Delta states from 2018 to 2022.

Badamasi noted that the partnership with the media became imperative following the poor performance of the 37 Water Boards across Nigeria, saying the average performance of the water boards in the country was 30 per cent.

He noted that the media had a key role to play in changing the situation by accurate reportage and engagement of critical stakeholders in the water sector.

“The partnership with journalists is key at this point because Nigeria has 37 water boards and as I speak with you, only few Nigerians have access to portable water.

” The average performance of all the water boards in the country is not more than 30 per cent which is very worrisome given the fact that about 85 per cent of diseases in the country are water related.

And even the water boards that we have across the thirty six states of the federation, no state accords adequate periorty to the water boards to ensure that they function properly” he explained.

He noted that Water Sanitation Hygiene (E-WASH) program is a Technical Assistance Support from the USAID for four years (2018-2022).

Badamasi said E- WASH was a technical assistance support from USAID with the objective of creating professionally managed and commercially oriented State Water Supply Agencies as well as improve their financial and operational viability.

In her presentation, one of the facilitators Hauwa Danchadi said that lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) affects women and girls more, due to both biological and cultural factors.

Danchadi also noted that, lack of access to WASH at home and school had a negative impact on children’s education, particularly for girls, hence the need for gender inclusion in WASH reporting.

One of the participants, Alhaji Sadiq Moyoyo commended the organizes for moving to tackle water challenge in the state.

Moyoyo noted that he had learnt a lot about the E-WASH programme and was set to write good reports to effect a change.