Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has announced a partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to address open defecation and poor sanitation challenges in the country. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, communicated this at a workshop for NYSC Community Development Service (CDS) Focal Officers of the Clean Nigeria Campaign on Thursday in Abuja. Pheelangwah was represented by the Director of Reforms and Coordination in the Ministry, Mr. Moses Jo-Madugu.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the government has implemented the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes to improve poor sanitation indicators. “The Clean Nigeria Campaign is a clarion call to action; we are excited to collaborate with the NYSC to mobilise Corps members nationwide. Through your CDS activities, we aim to trigger a sanitation revolution to end open defecation in Nigeria,” Pheelangwah stated. He also highlighted the recently reviewed Strategic Plan, unveiled by the Vice-President on Nov. 19, 2024, which aims to align activities with the YouthWASH Strategy.
In her address of welcome, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, mentioned that the training aimed to equip NYSC CDS officers with the skills to contribute effectively to the Clean Nigeria Campaign. She emphasized the importance of exploring key strategies, sharing best practices, and engaging in collaborative activities designed to inspire and empower the officers. Ugoh stressed that the campaign not only aims to achieve goals but also to build a passionate community committed to impacting the sanitation sector positively.
Mrs. Funmilayo Ajayi, representing NYSC, said the partnership aims to raise awareness about hygiene and sanitation at the grassroots level. She pledged readiness to work closely with the ministry to ensure grassroots communities are educated about proper sanitation practices. In her presentation, Mrs. Chizoba Opara, National Coordinator of the Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet Campaign, emphasized that a defecation-free Nigeria is everyone’s responsibility, involving community awareness campaigns through corps members to promote behavioral change.
Mr. Nature Obiakor, National Coordinator of the YouthWASH Initiative Africa, highlighted that the National YouthWASH Strategic Framework, unveiled in 2023, promotes youth engagement in WASH initiatives. He called for more collaboration from stakeholders in the water sector to build a cleaner and healthier nation for future generations. The two-day workshop, organized in collaboration with Self Help Africa, had participants from all 36 states and the FCT, aiming to strengthen collaboration between the ministry and grassroots organizations to achieve sanitation goals.