 |
| Safe and clean water provided in Yobe Rural Communities by MCRP |
From JOE Hemba
Water is the most common of all natural resources of over the world. It is crucial for human existence as well as other use. An adequate supply of “clean” water is one of the most basic human needs yet, its one that is not met for more than half of the world’s population.
According to various statistics, one-half to two-thirds of the world’s population does not have access to adequate quantities of safe drinking water yet two - third of the surface of our globe is covered with water.
Food supply and adequate nutrition also depend on adequate water. Apparently there is enough water around when we take the mighty rivers and the oceans into consideration but it will be a gross mistake to take the supply of water for human use for granted. Many developing nations not only have population and pollution issues, but also serious water related problems.
Nigeria, African's most populated country, with, over 200 million people, has limited water supply not only in the arid to semiarid north, but also in the southern region along the Atlantic Ocean.
Access to safe water and sanitation is a major challenge in Nigeria.
Data from the 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by Federal Government of Nigeria and UNICEF indicates a 29% increase in access to rural water supply, from 25% in 1990 (JMP) to 54% in 2017. Extending access to improved sources of water to currently unserved population by 2030 will require huge investments.
 |
| Some community dwellers with their animals enjoying water in one of the boreholes provided by MCRP in Yobe State |
The report has however observed that lack of effective ownership and Maintenance (O&M) culture at the state level and Local Government Wash Departments/Units at the local governments level has caused huge and frequent breakdown of existing water supply systems at those levels.
A recent world bank conducted WASH Poverty Diagnostic study reveals that 46% of all water schemes in Nigeria are non-functional (as of 2015) and nearly 30% fail in the first year of operation after construction.
It further reveals that low access to improved water coupled with poor sustainability and low functionality of existing inventory of water supply schemes will further swell the huge budgetary resources required to meet the SDG target on universal access to basic water supply by 2030,”
According to the Project Coordinator of MCRP, Mr. Musa Idi Jidawa, the low functionality of the water facilities is attributed to “lack of preventive maintenance, poor quality or non-availability of spare parts, non-availability of trained local area mechanics, absence of caretakers or lack of skills amongst the caretakers, lack of community ownership, vandalization by miscreants,”, stressing that, “there is the urgent need to address the key reasons for low functionality of water facilities so that the communities can get safe and clean drinking water close to their homes” .
Set up by the World Bank to mitigate the impact of Boko Haram destruction on both human and infrastructural needs of the northeast region in the BAY states(Borno, Adamawa and Yobe), The World Bank’s Multi-sectoral Crisis Recovery Project(MCRP) apart from other sectors has made deliberate efforts and huge investments in the area of safe water supply in Yobe State.
Going by the specifics, MCRP Yobe has so far provided transitional and livelihood support, peace-building and social cohesion interventions, technical support/capacity building and rehabilitation of basic service delivery infrastructure for restoration of essential services, through reconstructing destroyed public buildings, roads and bridges, rehabilitating health centres, schools and water facilities across 17 LGAs in Yobe State.
The Journey So Far in Water intervention
The Project Coordinator of the MCRP Yobe State Mr. Musa Idi Jidawa while commemorating the 2021 World Water Day believes that the project has taken bold steps for the provision and sustainability of water facilities and their maintenance in the state.
Mr. Jidawa in a statement noted that: “In the water sector, MCRP Yobe PCU has implemented the provision of ten (10) new solar powered boreholes, rehabilitation of Twenty Two (22) solar powered boreholes with livestock drinking trough, rehabilitation of Twenty One (21) solar powered boreholes with reticulation and rehabilitation of One Hundred and Seventy (170) hand pumps across 17 local government areas of the state. All the sub-projects are either completed or at completion stage, and in areas where projects have been completed and handed over to communities, such facilities are maximally benefitting both residents and livestock with efficient sources of water, provided in accordance with MCRP’s build back better principle.
“To ensure effective operation and maintenance of WASH facilities, community trainable and interested individuals were identified and trained on Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) to carry out maintenance and routine, minor repairs to prevent water facilities becoming nonfunctional as a result of maintenance and operational needs that can be addressed by communities themselves.
“Equally, MCRP Yobe PCU organized a statewide water sector stakeholders’ engagement on sustainability and functionality of community WASH facilities in Yobe State, aimed at sharing sustainability experiences and practices towards developing a comprehensive sustainability framework for Yobe State.
Going forward, the project coordinator expressed the commitment of the program in the provision of access to clean water in line with the State Investment Plan(SIP)
“MCRP will continue to pursue access to quality water across communities in the state, as contained in Yobe State Investment Plan (SIP) which is a top priority of His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni administration’s determination to rebuild take Yobe to greater heights,” Mr. Jidawa pledged.
No comments:
Post a Comment