The Lagos State government in partnership with an NGO WaterAid Nigeria has launched the Advancing Inclusive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, AI WASH.
The three hundred thousand pounds AI WASH project funded by DP World is aimed at bridging WASH infrastructure and governance gap to deliver safe water to over one hundred thousand residents.
At the launch in Ikeja, WaterAid Country Director, Ms Evelyn Mere, said the AI WASH project will be executed within one year in Agbede Omolaiye community in Ikorodu North LCDA and Ojodu Junior Grammar School in Ojodu LCDA due to their needs assessment.
The Country Director represented by WaterAid Nigeria Head of Strategy Performance Effectiveness and Learning, Mr Emmanuel Iorkumbor, urged the Lagos State government to use the projects as a model to replicate it in other Council areas for all residents to have access to safe water , sanitation and hygiene to drive diseases away.
“WaterAid Nigeria with funding from DP World will implement a twelve month project in Ikorodu North LCDA and Ojodu LCDA to deliver Inclusive, climate resilient WASH services using system strengthening and district wide approach.”
Giving an overview on the AI WASH project, Ms Ruth Agwulobi who is part of WaterAid Nigeria Fundraising Team, identified critical stakeholders’ to be involved in the project to include the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources LASWARCO, LASEMA SUBEB, CDAs, MEDIA, CSOs, WASHCOMs and VHPs for local ownership and sustainability.
According to Ms Agwulobi, the project objective is to promote WASH entrepreneurship among women and link them with local markets, support Lagos State to develop and disseminate a WASH policy implementation roadmap, rehabilitate and construct WASH facilities in one school in Ojodu LCDA and Agbede Omolaiye community in Ikorodu North LCDA, as well as build the capacity of WASH management structures.
Representative of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Akinwumi Babatunde, commended WaterAid Nigeria for its many WASH interventions in Lagos and challenged beneficiaries LCDAs to maintain the facilities for sustainability.
“While commending WaterAid Nigeria for all the projects, I must however say that the concentration on these two LCDAs is overdue and focus should be shifted to other Councils areas so they can also benefit from WASH interventions”
The Chairman Ikorodu North LCDA, Mr Ameen Apanisile, assured that the projects under his supervision will achieve its objectives to ensure Lagos is more climate resilient with inclusive WASH facilities.
“I want to assure WaterAid Nigeria that the Council will complement its efforts and ensure sustainability of the projects through constant monitoring and maintenance.”
The twelve months AI WASH project is expected to impact one hundred and eight residents including six thousand five hundred who will gain access to safe water, one thousand five hundred will have sanitation access while one hundred thousand will be reached with hygiene messages.
Reporting by Yemisi Dada