…target $6m budget for WASH sector

By Emmanuel Elebeke

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are advocating for a collaborative effort with governments to enhance budget reporting, with a specific focus on securing $6 million annually for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector. 

This partnership goal was announced during a two-day CSO Training on Budget Trend Analysis organized by WaterAid in Abuja.

WaterAid Country Director Evelyn Mere emphasized the importance of attracting significant funding for the WASH sector, aligning with international best practices for CSOs working with governments on budget transparency and accountability. This collaboration can lead to better budget credibility, crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We aim to provide WASH services to 400 million people globally, with a specific target of N15 billion for Nigeria, reaching 10 million people directly and potentially 27 million through government influence.”

This partnership aligns with international best practices for civil society organizations (CSOs) working with governments on budget transparency and accountability.

Effective collaboration can lead to better budget credibility, a key aspect of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

“We are committed to attracting $6million annually into the WASH sector to be able provide WASH to  400million people  that is the global strategy.

“In Nigeria we intend to meet 10million people with WASH and with influencing government they intend to get to 27million people.

“The N15billion we intend to attract into the sector is to help to increase financing as well as the Quality,” she said.

To achieve this strategy, Mere tasked the CSOs to act as a bridge in ensuring that government is awake to their own responsibilities and is awake in fulfilling what they have promised to do.

“Part of our strategy is to to build partnerships by involving civil societies along research institutions, private sectors and community groups 

The essence of the training is to equip the trainees with tools to hold the government into account. You can lobby the government to develop a budget and must have the ability to interpret the government budget and ask the right questions.”

According to her, there is need to have a WASH investment plan which has all the components of expenditure  that is needed based on the gaps that exist.

“The training is important to waterAid because it empowers civil societies to really hold government to account and when you come to the table with adequate information  with the gaps., even with what we call shadow budget based on your research and analysis then you can play the role of acting as a bridge.

“We feel that at the end of the year, CSOs should be able to see what government achieved with the budget.

A new strategy being launched today all boils down to financing that will enable us achieve the target set for the WASH.”

 Speaking on the Clean Nigeria Campaign strategy, she said the budget must be properly set up, analyzed and government held responsible at the end of the day for every household to access to toilets.

“Our strategy is aimed at ensuring universal access to safe inclusive, climate resilient WASH and also to improve the resilience of WASH to climate change because one could plan for Universal access and not build on climate change which may not be sustainable. We bring in the impact of climate into our design, planning

“We also look at the role of government into ensuring everyone has universal access to WASH. We don’t intend to take the role of government but to have them Replicate a sustainable model that is possible  and have government and scale.

“The strategy is an influencing one where in we show what is possible and lobby and influence government to scale it up.

“Our target is to reach 10million people directly and through our influence in government, community, private sector reach and additional 17million people, the whole goal is to ensure government understands it’s responsibility.”