In a bid to ensure consistent Sanitation and Hygiene behavioral changes in Lagos, over five hundred and sixty thousand residents have been sensitized by WaterAid Nigeria through community and media engagement, in the last two years.
This was disclosed at the annual review and planning meeting for the Cummins Improving Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH project in partnership with the Lagos State government, held at Ikeja.
WaterAid Nigeria Sanitation and Hygiene Officer, Mr Dare Oduluyi, said the objective of the review meeting was to brainstorm on the success stories and challenges of the project to achieve its main aim of strengthening WASH service delivery for efficiency in Lagos.
However, Mr Oduluyi identified some challenges to include poor maintenance culture leading to sustainability of the water facilities provided for some public schools, low commitment of community members to collective agreement and subsidy mentality from beneficiaries.
He advocated behavioral change for sustainability of the projects to bridge the gap of challenges.
Some of the stakeholders’ at the review meeting which included teachers of beneficiary public schools, representatives of Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Community Leaders proffer lasting solutions to the challenges including constant monitoring to encourage Cummins to donate more water facilities in Lagos, to promote good hygiene and keep diseases away.
On his part, Mr Eta Eteta, the Programme Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting Manager WaterAid Nigeria, challenged all stakeholders’ involved in the WASH project to step down knowledge gained from all the trainings to other colleagues to ensure the sustainability and maintenance of all the projects in their possession.
The three years WASH project which will end next year include construction of four new sanitation facilities in four schools, rehabilitation of five existing facilities, converting and upgrading seven motorized boreholes in schools to solar powered.
Beneficiaries of the WaterAid, Cummins WASH facilities are Orile-Agege Community High School, Oregun Junior and Senior High School, Ikeja, Eko College, Special Correctional Girls Center, Idi-Araba, Special Correctional Boys Center, Oregun, Communities in Ikorodu North LCDA
Reporting by Yemisi Dada