Abuja: The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called on state governments to demonstrate stronger commitment to the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme. He emphasized that increased dedication is essential to accelerate access to safe water and improved sanitation throughout the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Utsev made this appeal during the Fourth Federal Steering Committee Meeting of the World Bank-assisted SURWASH programme held in Abuja. The purpose of the meeting was to review progress in the seven implementing states-Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, and Plateau-and to evaluate their revised work plans for approval.
The minister expressed concern over delays in the submission of state work plans, identifying it as a significant factor hindering the pace of implementation. He called for enhanced ownership and commitment at both federal and state levels to achieve the programme’s desired impact. Utsev highlighted that the first phase of the SURWASH restructuring, completed earlier this year, led to improved disbursements to states by achieving key results under the Disbursement Linked Indicators.
Utsev mentioned that the programme is now in its second phase of restructuring, aimed at strengthening programme institutions, improving accountability, and onboarding new states into the SURWASH initiative. He announced that the Federal Government is collaborating with the World Bank to include 10 additional states, increasing the total number of participating states to 17. He assured that other states would be included in future cycles to ensure nationwide coverage.