According to latest figures from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP), 29% of the people in Nigeria (54.6 million people) do not have access to clean water, 61% (116 million people) do not have basic sanitation and 20% (37.8 million) are practising open defecation.
Whilst this is an improvement for Nigeria compared to the previous JMP figures captured in 2015, Nigeria still has a long way to go and is in fact off-track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets on water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030.
The ‘Keep Your Promises’ campaign which is being implemented by WaterAid Nigeria in partnership with Action Against Hunger (ACF), Connected Development (CODE), Media for Community Change (MFCC), The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), HipCity Hub and the WASH Media Network, will also seek to lobby elected officials to provide constituency projects committed to WASH service delivery.
Additionally, it will provide a platform to engage elected officials on the importance and centrality of WASH to development and keep them accountable to their commitments to increase budgetary allocations and ensure effective utilisation of appropriated funds for WASH services.
The campaign also seeks to: increase civil society organisation and community participation in accountability mechanisms for electoral commitments; identify and train marginalised and socially excluded groups on WASH rights; as well as allow close engagements with duty bearers to translate their commitments to realistic and sustainable actions.
The call comes as WaterAid, in collaboration with various civil society organisations, launch a 4-year ‘Keep Your Promises’ post-electoral advocacy campaign which aims to empower and support citizens to use the media and other accountability platforms to follow up with elected officials in demanding for transparent and accountable governance and influence reforms in the WASH sector.
