By Tosin Kolade
Abuja – The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 42 Microfinance Institutions and three Micro-credit Banks to provide affordable loans to households for the construction of sanitation facilities.
The ministry`s Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Rabi Jimeta, made this known in Abuja on Friday.
She said that the partnership was also to implement the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme in the country, which needed no fewer than N510 billion.
Jimeta said the partner financial institutions would incorporate sanitation financing into their existing micro-credit portfolio and provide loans in collaboration with UNICEF and the State and Local Government agencies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the ministry recently inaugurated the PEWASH strategy to seek out ways of funding to meet the sanitation and hygiene needs in the country before 2030.
She said the ministry was already partnering with UNICEF and Association of Non-Bank Microfinance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN) to seek out practical ways of providing funds to meet this target.
She reiterated the Federal Government`s commitment to ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025, saying that this was possible with full implementation of the PEWASH strategy.
Jimeta said there was an urgent need for a pool fund to ensure availability of cheaper loans to promote uptake of improved toilets.
She stressed that the Federal Government fully supports setting up pool fund and would leverage all available opportunities and partnerships with international development partners, financial institutions and small scale entrepreneurs.
Jimeta noted that this step would facilitate the provision of sanitation facilities across the country and also provide means of financing for sanitation for individuals.
The permanent secretary also called on the development partners to contribute to the pool fund.
“Developing a pool fund through the generous contribution of WASH stakeholders is essential to bring dedicated financing for rural WASH sector, “ she said.
Chief, WASH Section at UNICEF, Mr Kannan Nadar, said presently, no fewer than 120 million people in Nigeria lack access to improved sanitation facilities, thereby exposing them to public health hazards.
He said Nigeria needed an investment of N850 billion for households to construct 25 million toilets by 2025, saying “Reaching the SDGs target on Sanitation requires us to multiply our current efforts by fifteen. “
The DFID representative, Ms Kemi Williams, reassured of UK Government’s continued support to the Federal Government in achieving its SDG targets and helping out the poorest and most vulnerable in the process.
The CBN`s Deputy Director, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, presented the lessons from existing micro, small and medium enterprise development fund and agreed to work with FMWR towards creation of the pool fund.
The PEWASH programme is to contribute to improvement in public health and eradication of poverty in Nigeria through the achievement of SDGs six, especially in rural areas where access to quality water and sanitation are grossly inadequate.
