Ekiti State Water Supply and Sanitation Policy; Stakeholders Consultative Forum

Residents of Ilumoba Ekiti fetching water at a recently fixed borehole.

The Administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State considers access to sustainable and safe potable water supply and affordable hygienic sanitation system as one of its priorities and views them as essential means of improving the health and livelihood of the people and reducing poverty level of the citizens. The water and sanitation sector is also central to the growth and development of other sectors of the economy as well as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

When the administration took-off in October, 2010 the coverage of potable water supply in Ekiti State was assessed to be only 40% while sanitation facilities were in poor state. The water supply and sanitation sector in Ekiti State was equally assessed to be faced with challenges of poor institutional arrangement, inadequate funding and weak technical capacity with managerial ineptitude and poor service delivery. The administration concluded that the model that had been in existence since the creation of the state neither followed the best practice principle nor ensures sustainable service delivery. Similarly, interaction of the administration with Development Partners also came to the same conclusion that there should be an enduring master plan which shall be a guiding principle for the development of the sector.

The government is taking two parallel but concurrent approaches to address the challenges, thus;

Approach 1: Improvement of existing potable water schemes output and construction of new schemes across the State.

Approach 2: To develop permanent and sustainable master plan with implementation guidelines for the State.

Through a participatory process the Government has developed a policy proposal for water supply and sanitation for Ekiti State. This proposed policy is now set for all Stakeholders’ consultative forum with a view to subjecting the proposed policy to a wider public input and develop an acceptable people oriented policy for water supply and sanitation service delivery for the State which will serve as the master plan to development in the sector.

The two day forum will hold as follows:

Date:                    22^nd – 23^rd March 2012

Venue:        Catholic Pastoral Centre, Ikere Road, Ado-Ekiti

The date for this great event coincides with the World Water Day – 23^rd March declared by the United Nations. It is therefore an occasion to show case to the world, the efforts of Ekiti State Government in improving water supply and sanitation service delivery. The opening ceremony which will celebrate the World Water Day will commence by 10.00am on Thursday 22^nd March 2012.

Last modified: March 20, 2012