The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council through the Global Sanitation Fund has provided $5 million to implement Nigeria’s rural sanitation and hygiene promotion scheme.

Minister of Water Resources Sarah Reng Ochekpe this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and two benefiting states – Cross River and Benue state governments. The MoU signifies a take-off of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSSPIN) programme which is aimed towards scaling up sanitation and hygiene activities to achieve identified Millennium Development Goal targets.

According to Ochekpe, the entry of the WSSCC into Nigeria is a demonstration of the concern of the international community to assist Nigeria in scaling-up sanitation and hygiene. She noted that the Benue and Cross River states have shown commitment and readiness for the programme through providing counterpart funding for implementation of the programme.

“It is my belief that the programme will be a huge success from where we will draw lessons to replicate in the other LGAs in Benue and Cross River states and indeed throughout Nigeria,” said Ochekpe.

The Executive Director of the WSSCC Chris Williams said that the programme is based on the Nigerian National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme which was adopted in 2000 to make accessibility to adequate water and sanitation the right of every Nigerian.