WaterAid in Nigeria

Every year there are 175,000 deaths due to diarrhoea, malaria and typhoid, which together account for 70% of child illnesses and deaths. The cost in lost productivity, through both poor health and the time spent collecting water, which is commonly five hours a day in the dry season, is high.

Plans: 2006-2011

While the Nigerian Government has publicly committed to prioritising water and sanitation services it faces massive problems in achieving the Millennium Development. Goals (MDGs) of halving the proportions of people without access to safe water and sanitation between 1990 and 2015. In its new strategy running from 2006 to 2011 WaterAid sets out its plans and activities in Nigeria to help achieve these targets.

The key aims are to:

• Help 84,000 people gain access to water, sanitation and hygiene education every year by 2011

• Support local partner organisations to raise their own funds, while keeping a strong advisory role on how these funds are spent to ensure a further 90,000 people gain access to water and 85,000 to sanitation every year by 2011. As the responsibility for water and sanitation is being shifted from central to local government, WaterAid has committed to work with 30 local governments in future to build their capabilities to carry out their water and sanitation work effectively. Support is vital as currently they have limited authority, funding and capacity, which is constraining their ability to meet their obligations. In 2004 for example 25,000 handpumps were purchased and distributed to local governments without any prior discussions. Virtually all lacked the budgets to sink the wells for the pumps. In the past political bias has also meant that many projects in Nigeria were inequitable and excluded the poor. WaterAid will therefore increase its influencing and lobbying work to ensure money is spent in the most appropriate ways to reach the very poorest people. This will include mapping the existing facilities so that donors and the Government can plan new projects in a coordinated way where they are most needed; or where possible, rehabilitate broken facilities. To assist this process the MDGs will be localised and each area will work towards a specific target. WaterAid will also lobby local and national organisations to strengthen their own water, sanitation and hygiene work. It will focus on building the capacity of 24 partner organisations and two main networks. A media network will also be developed to raise awareness of the issues in the country.

Source: AHU – David A-O