ABUJA – The WaterAid said on Wednesday that 219 communities across the country had been provided with potable water through its intervention programme between 2012 and 2014.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The organisation stated this in its report on the ‘’Sustainable Total Sanitation (STS)’’ projects for 2014, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
NAN reports that WaterAid is an international non-governmental organisation, dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people.
According to the report, Leplek and Kanke communities in Plateau, Ukehe in Enugu, Logo in Benue, Ido in Jigawa and some communities in Bauchi states have benefited from a lot of water projects.
‘’Ido community has population of about 20,000 people and the water points provided by the government are no longer functioning.
‘’Many settlements drink water from open wells or from the stream and others have to buy sachet of pure water or patronise water vendors called ‘’Mai-ruwa.’’
‘’The only borehole that functions in the community was provided by the District Head and the people have to pay N30 per a keg of 25 litres,’’ he said.
The report stated further that the organisation had, as parts of its assistance on sanitation projects, constructed modern toilet in the Community Special Science School, Ukehe in Enugu State.
‘’Before the intervention, the school had no functional toilet or latrine, both students and teachers defecated at the open bush around the school premises,’’ it said.
The report quoted, Mr Onu Anthony, the School Principal as saying ‘’one of the main reasons why the school population was dropping was because of lack of toilet facilities.’’
Anthony said the new toilet facilities provided through WaterAid’s intervention project had motivated the young people in the community to enroll in the school.
‘’The projects is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the WaterAid organisation.
‘’WaterAid sees itself as a partner, passionate about assisting the rural communities facing with challenges of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for its members,’’ the report stated. (NAN)