ABUJA – The Youth Water Sanitation and Hygiene (YouthWASH) initiative, in collaboration with WaterAid Nigeria, has called on political aspirants to make access to safe water and sanitation part of their manifestoes.
The non-governmental organisations made the call at a Vote for Water Sanitation and Hygiene (Vote 4WASH) campaign planning meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
Vote4WASH is a campaign project which focuses on promoting performance-based governance in the water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
Tolani Busari, Head of Governance, WaterAid, said that the essence of the Vote4 WASH campaign was to sensitise Nigerians to the need to demand access to safe water and sanitation from election candidates.
“Demands can secure development in the country.
“We are more focused on the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene; people need to have toilets in their houses and water running from taps. That is our focus.
“We are investing in this campaign because we believe it can make the desired change.
“We are starting now, and people are going into communities immediately after this planning meeting to sensitise the citizenry,’’ she said.
She noted that Nigerians had the right to safe water and sanitation, saying that these should be given priority attention by any administration.
According to her, a World Bank report shows that Nigeria loses N455 billion annually due to inadequate sanitation.
In his address, Mr Nature Obiakor, National Coordinator, YouthWASH, said that safe water, sanitation and hygiene would improve income of individuals and households.
Obiakor said that the Vote4 WASH campaign would include signing of pledge cards by political aspirants.
He said that signing of the pledge cards would enable communities and voters to hold aspirants accountable to their promises.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the campaign would take place in six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The states are Jigawa, Bauchi, Enugu,Ekiti, Plateau and Ebonyi.(NAN)
