African Heads of State to prioritise water, toilets for 10 million people

The 50-million euro agreement according to a statement came as the United Nations enters final negotiations on the next 15-year blueprint for development in the Sustainable Development Goals. The present draft of which includes a dedicated goal on water and sanitation. The programme, agreed with the African Development Bank and led by the government of Rwanda, […]

The 50-million euro agreement according to a statement came as the United Nations enters final negotiations on the next 15-year blueprint for development in the Sustainable Development Goals. The present draft of which includes a dedicated goal on water and sanitation.
 The programme, agreed with the African Development Bank and led by the government of Rwanda, is designed to make water and sanitation programmes a higher priority in national spending across the continent.
 Ten nations are targeted in this action plan: Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Lesotho and Mauritania. The ten states are all on the list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and all but two of the targeted countries — Lesotho and Mauritania — are considered fragile states for one reason or another (ranging from conflict to the Ebola virus disease). The weak state of water and sanitation services has been highlighted in Sierra Leone and Liberia in particular as contributing to the Ebola crisis.
Speaking on the plan, Dr. Michael Ojo, Country Representative, WaterAid Nigeria, said: “The Kigali Action Plan is a great move for Africa and it will contribute significantly to changing the face of water, sanitation and hygiene on the continent. As the continent’s biggest economy however, Nigeria also has a huge role to play in contributing to sustained development in Africa. It defies logic that as influential as Nigeria is on the continent, we remain one of only a handful of countries around the world where access to basic sanitation is actually falling rather than rising. We call on our own leaders here to embrace the spirit of the Kigali Action Plan and invest the resources needed to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene for its people.
It’s evident that world leaders, and increasingly this includes African leaders too, are finally recognising the transformative potential and unique opportunity for change that 2015 presents. We must continue to demand that our leaders embrace new and ambitious policies that will eradicate poverty, inequality and change the future of Nigerians for the better.”