Borno Govt. budgets N83bn to drill over 1000 boreholes
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Goal Prime Organization Nigeria (GPON), Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) and other partners has organized Water and Sanitation Health (WASH) drama and demonstrations to mark the 2022 World Toilet Day at BOSEPA complex office on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The Borno State Commissioner of Environment, Architect Sale Kida expressed appreciation to the organizers, partners and other collaborators for organizing the remarkable health and sanitation event in the overall interest of humanity.
He also assured that government will continue to work closely with the development partners and ensure healthy environment and availability of public toilets for better health, safety and healthy Environment through Implementation of health sanitation and Environmental Protection policies while thanking all the collaborating NGOs .
On his part, The UNICEF WASH Manager, Ms Mamita Bura Thakkar said: “Lack of sanitation has a profound impact on public health, economic productivity, environmental integrity, and educational attainment especially for girls and women who are disproportionately affected by deplorable sanitation conditions.
”In 2020, the JMP estimated that 3.6 billion people globally lacked safely managed services, and that the rate at which sanitation coverage was increasing would need to quadruple to achieve universal access to safely managed services by 2030
“Globally, governments have focused for decades on boosting access to infrastructure and service delivery – both important – but closing gap on policy action is necessary to achieve scale and sustainability” Mamita said.
She added that,” another year, another event, another World Toilet Day – 2022. These are grim reminders that Sanitation: Its still an unfinished agenda. Every year there’s a new theme that highlights different dimensions of Sanitation, each of which is important.
“Progress towards universal sanitation is alarmingly off track, unevenly distributed between countries, and inadequate to eliminate the inequalities to ensure that the most vulnerable are reached. This is also the most off-track of all the SDG 6 targets.
“The time is NOW. With eight years left to attain the SDGs by 2030, the window for action is rapidly closing. Systems strengthening efforts are key to unlocking real progress
“This year, World Toilet Day focuses on the impact of the sanitation crisis on groundwater. Inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil, polluting the water resources under our feet. However, this problem seems to be invisible. Invisible because it happens underground. Invisible because it happens in the poorest and most marginalized communities.
“Groundwater is our most abundant source of freshwater. It supports our drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry and ecosystems,” Thakkar said.
The UNICEF WASH Manager further noted that as climate change worsens and populations grow, groundwater is vital for our survival while Safely managed sanitation protects groundwater from human waste pollution. Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 is the world’s promise to ensure safe toilets for all by 2030.
Thakkar said in “Nigeria, a lot of ground has to be covered. We have not even reached the status of ODF – even one LGA so far and the state wide ODF is still a distant dream. And then we need to tackle the issue of safely managed sanitation, to reach the SDG goal of 2030.
Today only 53% of the population has access to basic sanitation facilities and only 4% of the population has access to safely managed sanitation. Which means that most of the waste generated in the State is untreated and finds its way to our rivers, water bodies and that could explain the endemic cholera situation.
“Safely managed and properly sited sanitation protects humans and groundwater from the pathogens in faecal waste. A safe and sustainable sanitation system begins with a toilet that effectively captures human waste in a safe, accessible and dignified setting.,” Thakkar said.
The General Manager , Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), Engineer Bukar Suleiman thanked the collaborating partners for their contributions and supports while acknowledging the efforts and support of Governor Zulum in promoting Environmental sanitation.
He further said the the state government have embarked provision of adequate facilities and amenities to BOSEPA in the management and control of Environmental sanitation across the 27 LGAs of the state.
He added that the agency has been put in the right track with the support from development and humanitarian partners in the state where WASH and Environmental sanitation programmes have been implemented towards meeting the 2030 MDGs target.
The Director General, Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Yabawa Kolo said the state government has been supportive and providing Environmental sanitation facilities and amenities in all the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps towards ensuing healthy Environment and better conducive environment.
Also, The General Manager, Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASSA), Dr. Musa Ali on his part highlighted in the numerous water projects the state government has executed and pledged continuous drilling of more boreholes in addition to the existing ones in the 27 LGAs of the state.
He added that the state government has further installed solar energy electricity in many boreholes to replace the mechanized electricity supply system to the boreholes.
Dr. Ali disclosed also that the state government has budgeted N83 billion targeted at drilling over 1000 boreholes in all the LGAs of the state and installing solar energy, amongst others, which are all geared towards meeting up with the 2030 MDGs target on ODF.
He however lamented that despite the various health campaigns and advocacy been carried out by the agency, people still engage in open defecation in the state which has a serious implications on public health.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
Leave a Reply