New Telegraph

Nigeria can generate $26bn from sanitation sector – Experts

Caleb Onwe ABUJA Experts on Saturday at the ongoing World Toilet Summit in Abuja, have projected that Nigeria can generate up to $26.1 billion between now and 2030 from the Sanitation sector, if it is well harnessed. They said that business potential and opportunities in the sector have not been tapped into, due to lack of deserved attention.

According to them, the sector has employment opportunities that can take many youths out of the streets. One of the experts, Adegbe Micheal, who was also a panelist during one of the discussion sessions, said “the sanitation sub sector remains a gold mine waiting to be tapped in Nigeria, whose potential in revenue generation will stand at $26.1 billion in 2030 if harnessed”.

Michael stated that the private sector players should be well drafted into all the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs as the government alone cannot achieve the desired results in ending open defecation across the country.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Didi Walson-Jack , noted that Nigeria got the hosting rights for 2022 World Toilet Summit, because of its consistent advocacy to end open defecation and also achieve more secured water resources in the country.

She disclosed that the Federal Government will not backtrack in it’s resolve towards the national campaign to end Open Defecation by 2025 through the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign.

According to the Permanent Secretary, “the Summit is geared towards bringing to the fore the opportunities in the circular sanitation economy and the enabling environment needed to maximize it”. One of the panelists, Bridget Kurgat, a director of Day-for -Girl, a Kenya based non – governmental organization, called on African leaders to give more attention to sanitation, noting that low investments in it was affecting the continent’s GDP.

The activist who spoke about menstrual health in relation to the toilet said: “Menstrual health is also something that has been left behind and we all know that women bear the consequence of WASH just because of how our society handles gender roles. How does it affect women when we do not include them? “From the perspective of women and girls in the workplace as well as the informal sector where we don’t have proper infrastructure in school

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