The proposed programme in Nigeria seeks to ignite the right political will and commitment so that sanitation is taken to scale. It aims to contribute directly towards the possible achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on sanitation in Nigeria, and it also looks beyond the 2015 targets toward the achievement of sanitation for all people in the country. One key aspect is to focus on scaling up existing successful sanitation approaches to complement other on-going sanitation and hygiene programmes.
In 2011, the Programme Coordinating Mechanism (PCM) representing the Federal Government, development partners and civil society submitted a Country Programme Proposal (CPP) for funding through the GSF. The programme to be implemented over a five-year period starting in 2012 responds to fundamental challenges in the Nigerian sanitation sector.
“Despite the adoption in 2000 of the Nigerian National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy making accessibility to adequate water and sanitation the right of every Nigerian, water and sanitation have slipped downwards on the Federal government’s ladder of funding priorities. Progress in the sector is constrained by the lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities among multiple actors at federal and state levels, which has led to duplication, gaps and resultant inefficiencies, even as localised programmes that have shown potential for broad impact and efforts to improve coordination are underway.” Extract from the Nigeria Country Programme Proposal, submitted by the PCM to the GSF in November 2011.
The aim of the programme is to significantly increase sanitation coverage and attain a positive and sustained hygiene behavioural change in six local Government Areas (lGAs), three in each of the two participating states, Cross River and Benue. Beneficiaries of the programme include all households in the communities in the six target lGAs. Special focus is given to reaching the poor and vulnerable populations with particular attention given to gender disparities in decision-making and access to improved sanitation and hygiene behaviour change interventions.
Accordingly, the two objectives of the programme are: Achieve increased improved sanitation coverage and hygiene behaviour through a demandled process, empowering local communities to improve their sanitation and hygiene practices; and Strengthen political commitment at all three tiers of government to improve allocation of appropriate resources for sanitation and hygiene.In addition, the programme will aim to stimulate improved coordination and clarification of roles and responsibilities of sanitation stakeholders at all levels, including partners, community structures and the three tiers of government: Federal, state and LGA.
