USAID has officially handed over a $3.5 million Water and Sanitation (WASH) project to the governments of Jigawa and Kano States in Nigeria. The Water Improvement and Sanitation Enhancement (WISE) project was celebrated at a ceremony held at the Manpower Development Institute in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State.
Mr. Simeon Nyiakaa, Chief of Party for the WISE project, explained that the three-year initiative, which commenced on August 1, 2021, aimed to address waterborne diseases, particularly affecting children, women, and the elderly in underserved rural areas of the two states.
Notable achievements of the project include:
- Installation of 55 improved water supply systems and 50 enhanced sanitation facilities in public institutions like schools and healthcare centers.
- Provision of basic water access to 66,000 residents and basic sanitation to 123,000 individuals.
- Installation of 18 gender-responsive sanitation facilities in 14 public schools and four healthcare facilities across 32 rural communities.
- Support for over 6,000 households (approximately 60,000 people) in constructing and using safe latrines.
- Reduction in open defecation, with 28 out of 32 project communities certified as Open Defecation Free.
Nyiakaa highlighted that the project has surpassed its initial target, providing potable water to over 42,000 rural residents, delivering 20 liters per person per day.
Yobe Commissioner of Water Resources, Mal. Ibrahim Garba, assured continued political support and commitment to sustain and expand these WASH interventions beyond the project’s completion.
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