Water resources minister certifies 14 local governments open defecation-free in Jigawa

By YANGE IKYAA

The minister of water resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, on Thursday in Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State presented certificates to 14 local government areas, declaring them Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Adamu also called on all sub-national governments to prioritize investment in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services as this is very strategic to development and improvement of the welfare of the populace.

He commended Jigawa State government for being among the progressive states in the implementation of WASH activities with, declaration of state of emergency in the WASH sector by the governor of Jigawa State, Alh. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, and the state’s prompt enactment of appropriate legislation against open defecation and budgetary commitment to WASH programmes.

These efforts he noted have yielded laudable results with the achievement of 14 O D F-LGAs, namely Birnin-Kudu, Buji, Gagarawa, Gwiwa, Kiyawa, Roni, Sule-Tankarkar, Dutse, Auyo, Birniwa, Kafin Hausa, Taura, Guri, and Jahun, made up of over 5,300 communities and an estimated population of about 3 million persons.

The minister noted that, already, Jigawa State is among the leading states in the provision of water supply at 92% coverage and expressed his optimism that the same progress can be achieved in respect of sanitation and hygiene in the near future.

Adamu reminded his teeming audience that most of the priority areas of President Buhari’s administration, which include enhancing social inclusion and poverty reduction, expanding business growth and entrepreneurship; expanding access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity, are impacted in one way or the other by access to WASH services.

He therefore enjoined the government and people of Jigawa State to keep up the good effort in sustaining the results so far and work towards achieving a state-wide ODF status in the not too distant future.

The governor of Jigawa State, Alh. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, thanked the Federal Government for the massive support given to Jigawa State, especially in the WASH Sector, and attributed the feat achieved in the 14 ODF-LGAs to the excellent team work of his administration.

Earlier in his welcome speech, the commissioner of water resources, Jigawa State, Honourable Ibrahim Garba Hannun Giwa, stated that the remaining thirteen LGAs will be celebrated before the end of 2022 and thus make Jigawa State the first ODF-state in the country.

The highpoint of the celebration was the presentation of Open Defecation Free (ODF) certificates to chairmen of the 14 LGAs and the commissioning of Sule Tankarkar township roads by the minister.