By YANGE IKYAA
The federal ministry of water resources has inaugurated a Memorandum of Understanding framework with the federal ministry of environment in an effort to ensure that the targets of SDG 6 are met between now and 2030, which is to achieve water and sanitation for all.
“Team work, collaboration and synergy of efforts will help us to achieve our greater goal,” said the honourable minister of water resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu on Monday August 15, at a meeting between the two ministries in Abuja.
Adamu hinted that meeting the SDG 6 is the responsibility of ministry of water resources but can only be actualized with the collaboration of other ministries. Speaking further he said “when development partners come in, they want to see policies and institutional arrangements in place to enhance benefiting from the support we can receive from them”.
The minister stressed that collaboration is key to fast tracking progress to achieve success at both federal and state levels, as “we are all working for a common goal for our country.”
The minister of environment, Barr. Muhammed Abdulahi, in his response said his ministry is ready to work with the ministry of water resources to achieve a common goal for the benefit of the nation.
“I am here to forge a synergy and ensure going forward that we have a very robust national policy on sanitation that takes care of virtually every angle of sanitation, which I feel will be more robust and more encompassing if it is done jointly by the two ministries.”
He added that to achieve this, “we will have a task force of experts by the two ministries to look at the various documents as it addresses sanitation and water resources ministry and the ministry of environment so as to see how they can be harmonized towards one document as a national policy that will be all encompassing for sanitation.
“Also, we can invite other stakeholders in the sanitation sector to join hands with us in this National assignment.”
Earlier, the permanent secretary, federal ministry of water resources, Esther Didi Walson-Jack, in her opening remarks expressed her deep commitment to sharing information as necessary, and working together to ensure that the target is met.
This is intended to bring sanitation up to scale in the country towards promoting positive impact.
