Stories by Stanley Onyekwere
As part of the process to get Kwali completely Open Defecation Free (ODF), a team from UNICEF and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Bengt van Loosdrecht, embarked on an on-the-field tour of water and sanitation outlook of some communities in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In particular, officials of the FCT- RUWASSA on Monday, took the visiting team to Kwali Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), Etsu Kwali Palace, LEA Primary School, Lambata, and Anini communities, all in Kwali.
Speaking during the visit, which is a follow up to a recent baseline report on Kwali , the Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), UNICEF Nigeria, Jane Bevan, disclosed that Kwali is a little bit closer to becoming fully ODF.
She expressed hope that this year 100% ODF will be achieved in Kwali, which according to her, will be a fantastic achievement.
She noted that UNICEF has been supporting in FCT, and Nigeria in general, and Kwali in particular to really work with the RUWASSA. And we know that the children of Kwali will really benefit not only in terms of hygiene, improved education, improved outcomes in general life, there will be less sicknesses.
“The officials of the RUWASSA really supported this push. I want to applaud you and your leadership.
We’ve seen dramatic improvement. Kwali will be the first LGA in FCT. It’s going to be such an amazing piece of news. You should be very proud of yourselves and hopefully all of the other FCT LGAs will hurry up and follow you behind because obviously it is the capital.
“I’m so pleased to be able to announce that Kwali is being ODF. So, I’ve brought colleagues from all the way from the Netherlands, from New York, they have heard so much about this work. They really want to come and see it for themselves, so that’s why we brought them here”, she stated.
Similarly, Ambassador of the Netherlands, Bengt van Loosdrecht, noted that UNICEF being the UN’s organization that has a mandate on water and sanitation, it felt natural for the Netherlands to provide support.
Loosdrecht explained that most Kwali communities having achieved 100% of non- open defecation, is quite a feat, actually, because it’s not that easy to get there.
He said: “Anything we do is embedded in the communities. And I have seen in Nigeria, the communities here are very strong. And it’s always very nice for me to see how the ownership is organized in Nigeria.
“There’s a tremendous drive from the communities, from the private sector, from experts to own what they are doing. And I can tell by your faces that you are owning this program as well. I would like to commend you for that.
“I really hope that this expertise and the commitment that you have, that you will maintain it, and that you will be able to sustain what you are doing. But, I trust it will happen also in the future.”
On his part, Etsu Kwali, HRH Luka Nizassan III, opined that people of his chiefdom want to own the program, and in the process, develop cultures that are not repugnant to public health.
Nizassan III, who is the Chairman, Council of Chiefs, Kwali Area Council, Abuja, added that it is a rule now that when anyone in the chiefdom is setting a new home, the person should make provision for water and sanitation.
According to the monarch, “As far as I’m concerned, we are updating our culture to meet the standards of hygiene, so that we will meet children’s needs.
“Another thing we are learning from this process is the fact that we need to own the process, so we can live longer. So, if we truly want to live long, we want life expectancy to scale up, we have to own the processes that we give to our children.
“As you go around to check what you’ve already done. I pray we have another opportunity to meet again.”
Ealier in her remarks,, Acting Director, FCT-RUWASSA, Abigail Patricia Ekpenisi, recalled that before recent interventions, many communities in Kwali struggled with poor sanitation, as open defecation was common, water access was unreliable, and many markets and public spaces lacked proper toilet facilities, which endangered lives, especially of women and children and contributed to the spread of waterborne diseases.
She however, noted that through a coordinated intervention led by FCT RUWASSA, with strong support of UNICEF and Kwali Area Council, a new approach emerged, which was about building systems, behaviors and sustainable change.
According to her, 171 communities in Kwali have been certified open defecation free(ODF), and Kwali central ward has officially achieved ODF status, which is not just a sanitation victory, but a public health breakthrough.
“Kwali has become a symbol of hope- a place where sanitation is no longer an afterthought but a priority.
“Through Community – Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) methods, local leaders, women groups, youth, volunteers and the religious institutions were mobilized to end open defecation.
“Sanitation is not charity, it is not a luxury, it is a basic human right. We need to scale what’s working, we need government commitment, donor funding, technical expertise and most importantly, community ownership”, she added.
