Omolara Akintoye
WaterAid Nigeria has partnered Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to improve Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) among vulnerable population in Lagos.
This was said by the Project Manager, Kimberly Clark, Nanbam Michael during an Advocacy and Communications workshop and WASH Media Network Roundtable, which was held in Lagos recently.
Ojodu LCDA to promote WASH projects in Lagos
The partnership, Michael said, is a 2 year project titled ‘Water Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement” and will be piloted among most vulnerable communities in Ikorodu North and Ojodu local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) after which it will be replicated in other LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos state.
According to Michael, Lagos, just like many other Sub-Saharan Africa’s large cities is caught up in the struggle of managing increasing population growth and urban development challenges, including improved access to basic services like water sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Despite being one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, access to life saving WASH services in the state remains inadequate.
“It is against this backdrop that WaterAid Nigeria is implementing this project in partnership with Lagos State government and to be funded by Kimberly Clark Corporation’ said Michael.
The project, Michael pointed out will enhance sanitation and hygiene behaviours and outcomes through context specific behaviour change approaches.
“The pilot project seeks to reach a total of 45,000 people comprising : 20,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers; 5,000 Secondary school girls; and 20,000 people to be reached with handwashing stations in public facilities including healthcare centres, markets, community centres and motor parks.
The project Michael revealed is designed to complement the state govt’s efforts at addressing challenges in access to WASH in the state and contribute to better maternal and child health.
Intervention approach and stakeholders’ engagement according to the Head, Advocacy Policy and Communication, Mr Kolawole Banwo is holistic, hence it is called it Sector Wide Approach. “Another one is the district wide approach whereby you begin to think for the entire district, you don’t just put water facility in a place, know that you need to include sanitation, then work on the people ‘s behaviour. ” said Banwo.
“The essence is that once we are able to showcase in a small way what is possible, if govt see it, they can adopt it, upscale it and replicate it. That way, we are influencing the entire sector. We also influence the way govt work, and the way they plan, knowing that planning and policy is key, and with good policy in place, it becomes easy. So we start to influence at the policy level, policy is what eventually begin to drive all the planning, budgeting and implementation”, said Banwo
In the words of the Communication and Media Manager, WaterAid Nigeria, Oluseyi AbdulMalik, strategic communication is key in helping to achieve program goal.
“Communication strategy makes the process of achieving our objectives more efficient, effective and more rewarding. The reason being that it provides focus and efficiency in the things that we do. It also result in us having more effective messaging, helps us to identify who our audiences are, what we want to say and how we want to say it. This gives clarity of purpose, help us to build community relations and help us to be responsive to our stakeholders” said AbdulMalik.
Stakeholders’ categories, she pointed out include :Those with high power and influence; those with high influence and low interest and why we need to keep them satisfied, etc. “This help us to know where to direct our efforts. On the long run, it gives us direction in knowing what to do, how we need to tailor our messages and what channels to use to reach them. That is why audience analysis is critical as part of planning our communications”, she said.
Speaking with one of the implementing Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs) Executive Director, Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development, (HUFFPED) Mr. Adenigba Oluwarotimi, whose organisation focuses on Sexuality and Reproductive health and rights issues, he said the project is called
Strengthening of Hygiene Improvement Projects (SHIP) in the 2 LCDAs. “It is an important project because it is improving the hygiene of both pregnant women and lactating mothers with the main aim of reducing maternal mortality, among others. Lagos State being a State of Excellence will want to take ownership of the project and also encourage best practices in other LGAs and LCDAs. With the little funding that Kimberly Clark is providing and thereafter govt will take ownership of the project”. said Adenigba.
On his path, the National Chairman, Water and Sanitation Media Network Nigeria, Olawale Elekolusi said, “Basically, what we want to do is see how we can upgrade the knowledge base of journalists in the area of water and hygiene in Lagos State so that they can apply it in their daily reporting.
