The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, MCIPM, mni, has said that the Sustainable Development Goal-6 is very critical to the achievements of all other SDGs as it has strong linkage to Health, Sanitation, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Tourism, Transportation and indeed the Environment, which also has direct and rapid impact on poverty eradication and employment generation.
Didi Walson-Jack, who is the Chairman NTCWR said this today 17/01/2023 during her address at the opening ceremony of the 29th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources with the theme: “Actualizing Sustainable Development Goal-6: prospects and Challenges” presently going on in Sokoto, Sokoto State.
The Permanent Secretary further said that the theme of this year’s programme was carefully chosen, bearing in mind that achieving the target year set for SDG Goal-6 is just seven years away hence, the need for members to review strategies particularly in the area of implementing projects and programmes, identifying gaps and proffering solutions on the way forward in overcoming identified challenges.
According to her, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is currently developing a strategic plan for the coordination and tracking of the implementation of SDG-6 in Nigeria. She noted that the Ministry’s plan is to provide guidance and a sustainable pathway for various stakeholders in the water sector to monitor the implementation levels of SDG-6 across the eight (8) hydrological areas of the Country.
The Permanent Secretary reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has implemented very laudable initiatives, projects, and programmes towards ensuring sustainable management of water, sanitation, and hygiene for Nigerians. These amongst others include; the Declaration of a “State of Emergency” and the overarching launch of the WASH National Action Plan aimed at ensuring Universal Access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services by 2030.
Other remarkable initiatives enumerated by her include, Partnership for Expanded programme on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) designed to serve as an effective platform for the Coordination and Management of public Water Supply and Sanitation facilities in the country; Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme; the Launch of the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign; the Rivers and Open Bodies monitoring activities, and WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping ( WASH-NORM) programme carried out in collaboration with National Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF respectively.
She therefore urged members to participate actively in generating quality and insightful Memoranda for discussion and ultimate consideration by the Council.
The Honourable Commissioner for Sokoto State Water Resources, Hon. Dahiru Yusuf Yabo declared the Council open while the Ag. Permanent Secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Water Resources, Engr. Mu’azu Garba welcomed participants.
Present at the event were the States’ Permanent Secretaries of Water Resources, Director Generals/ Executive Directors of Water Resources Agencies, Managing Directors of River Basin Development Authorities, Water Resources Stakeholders, Traditional Rulers, Development Partners, some Senior Management staff of the Ministry and other very eminent Personalities.
Kenechukwu Offie, fnipr
Director Press and Public Relations.
17th January,2023.
