By Azuka Offor
Anambra State has refined its local investment plan for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector following a validation workshop organised by Teamwork Global Associates.
The workshop, held on July 23 at Fun Surge Hotel and Suites, Akure, focused on validating baseline data and strengthening institutional planning for equitable WASH development across communities.
In remarks delivered on behalf of the Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Casmir Chinenye Agummadu, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Victor Ezekwo, emphasised the importance of accurate and reliable data in driving effective development planning.
Mr. Ezekwo expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the African Development Bank and Teamwork Global Associates for their support towards ensuring equitable distribution of resources and improved WASH services across communities.
Speaking at the event, the WASH Expert, Dr. Mike Nwude, described water as fundamental to life and critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets 6.1 and 6.2, which focus on universal access to safe and affordable water and sanitation.
Dr. Nwude urged local government chairmen to upgrade WASH units to full departments to facilitate improved budgetary allocations and accelerate efforts towards achieving the 2030 development targets.
He stressed that accurate data, gathered and validated by Anambra indigenes familiar with the communities, was essential for effective sanitation planning and the equitable distribution of government resources.
The Programme Manager of RUWASSA in the Ministry of Power and Water Resources, Mr Tochukwu Nwosu, identified poor sustainability and inadequate maintenance culture as major challenges responsible for the abandonment of some water facilities, advocating the establishment of WASH committees in every community, with appropriate accommodation provided for their operations.
The workshop featured presentations and validation of baseline data, discussions, corrections and validation exercises, as well as local government institutional diagnostics. The highpoint was the adoption of the validated data as a working document, subject to necessary corrections, followed by a question-and-answer session and group photograph.
Azuka Offor is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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