The General Manager, Kaduna Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Mr. Mubarak Ladan, on Tuesday pledged the agency’s commitment to improved access to potable water for its communities.
Ladan spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the sidelines of the ongoing National Retreat for States on the “Clean Nigeria: Use The Toilet” Campaign in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to Ladan, the Kaduna State Government has shown the highest political will by providing support for RUWASSA to meet its targets.
He said the state was one of the seven states selected for the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, aimed at scaling up access to water, especially in rural areas.
“The selection is based on efforts and the political will that had been demonstrated in the past and the successes recorded in previous projects in the state.
“Twenty two out of the 23 local government areas in Kaduna have benefitted from different intervention programmes, the only LGA that did not benefit was Kaduna North, because it has no rural community.
“Our action plans are to scale up access to sanitation and water to the rural populace, and already we have set out our targets, and we have programmes coming in.
“Like the SURWASH Programme, we intend to use this programme to reach the less privileged, doing a scale of preferences to see that interventions reach those who are most vulnerable and under-served.”
He listed the challenges of insufficient funding, noting that the State Government had shown the strongest political will, in spite of the global economic crises.
He called on relevant stakeholders to support the state in the actualisation of its target, saying there is need for additional funding from the organised private sector in WASH.
The RUWASSA General Manager urged governments at all levels to continue to give the needed support to agencies responsible for WASH in their various states.
While appreciating Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i for his support to the programme, Ladan called on all other state governments to emulate Kaduna’s efforts, towards meeting their set target of achieving the Open Defacation Free (ODF) Nigeria by 2025.
The SURWASH programme is a US$700 million credit World Bank-supported programme being implemented some selected states.
The states are Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau.
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