PEWASH: FG, Kano State Gov’t Partern to Achieve SDGs- WASH Target

PEWASH: FG, Kano State Gov’t Partern to Achieve SDGs- WASH Target

The Honourable Minister Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu on Wednesday 14th August, 2018 signed Partnership Agreement for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) with Kano State Government.

Signing the agreement, the Minister stated that the Sustainable Development Goals targets for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene has heightened the challenge as it is more demanding than MDGs target.

Continuing, Engr. Adamu said that it was against this background that the Ministry is taking proactive step towards implementing programmes and projects that will enable Nigeria to meet the SDGs-WASH target.

He stated that some of the significant efforts made so far include developing a national programme for addressing Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene tagged “Partnership for Expanded Water supply, sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH).

PEWASH is intended to mobilize all stakeholders’ efforts and channel them towards providing sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene especially for those living in the rural communities.

It could be recalled that the Ministry signed similar agreement with Ogun State government on the 31st July, 2018. It is worthy of note that Ogun and Kano Sates were shortlisted as flagship states based on first come, first served amongst 22 states that have so far signed and submitted PEWASH Protocol with the Ministry.

“I wish to thank your Excellency for personally coming to sign the PEWASH Agreement which we consider as a pro-active step for bringing development to the people of Kano State”.

Delivering his address, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje expressed his great pleasure at signing the partnership agreement with the Ministry as this will increase access to improved water supply to the rural populace of Kano State.

“The total volume of the partnership is in the region of N12.7 billion which is a big amount of money, that clearly shows the concern Mr. President has for the rural common people who largely depend on hand pumps and motorized boreholes”, he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, said that the signing of the partnership agreement could not have come at a better time than now that solid preparations are being made towards implementing national initiatives and programmes that will enable our dear country to achieve SDGs targets for water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

Kenechukwu Offie