The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and its partners have inaugurated the Clean Nigeria Website to signal commencement of Open Defecation-free campaign.
The ministry has also inaugurated three water supply schemes to augment water supply to communities in Bwari, Lugbe in the FCT and in Mararaba, Nasarawa state.
The solar-powered boreholes were constructed by the ministry’s contractors as part of their corporate social responsibility to improve access to disadvantaged communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was part of activities to commemorate the 2019 World Water Day with the theme, ‘Leaving No One Behind’.
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The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu said that the website, www.cleannigeria.ng is the official website for ‘Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet’ campaign.
According to him, the campaign is a mass mobilisation and sensitisation campaign to end open defecation in Nigeria
“The Clean Nigeria website is one aspect to visualise information for advocacy and communication.We want Nigeria and the world to follow the progress being made to end open defecation in the country.
We want users to be inspired to take actions and contribute their quota to the progress being made, it is open for audience who want to reach leaders, policymakers, development partners among others. “
The minister said that it also shows open defecation-free communities mappings with a target of promoting data availability and accessibility.
He said the Federal Government had indicated interest to adopt the Clean India Strategy to lead campaigns, efforts and action plan to make Nigeria Open Defecation-free by 2025.
He said that the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had launched the strategy, also known as the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage.
According to him, the study tour, which the ministry and its partners recently underwent in India, saw the need for Nigeria to adopt the model, calling for all hands to be on deck to stop open defecation practice.
He said that the Federal Government had shown commitment by inaugurating the plan as a deliberate way to gather collaboration from all stakeholders to redeem the image of the country in comity of nations.
He urged the media to amplify the messages of ending open defecation practices, calling on all Nigerians to contribute their quota toward ending open defecation, saying the Federal Government “cannot do it alone’’.
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In a related development, the minister also unveiled the Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) strategy to train villagers on managing and maintaining boreholes whenever it broke down, and not have to wait for technicians.
The technology is increasingly seen as one amongst many components needed for the sustainable provision of village water supplies.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated March 22 as World Water Day.
World Water Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners.
World Water Day is about taking action to tackle the water crisis, with over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water. (NAN)