Federal Government has approved a National Environmental Sanitation Policy which intends to give major environmental responsibilities to state and local governments. The policy has three components: the main policy itself; guidelines for its implementation; and action plan for implementation. According to Minister of Environment, Colonel Bala Mande, targets of the policy include: seeking to increase access to toilet facilities in public places and in households; increasing management of sewage and excreta; and seeking to institute school sanitation programmes.

The NGO Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP) praises the effort of the governement for coming-up with a national sanitation policy. The very first in Nigeria. One of the things they recommend: “a national agency, distinct and different from the ministry of environment should as a matter of urgency be set-up as a central coordinating mechanism to improve and assess the impact of country level activities being funded by international agencies.”

Contact:  J. I. Ezeji, RAWDP, Owerri, Nigeria, ruralafrwadp@yahoo.com

Source: This Day, 27 Jan 2005; RAWDP Press Conference, 31 Jan 2005

Tags: policies & legislation