The Federal Government has upgraded over 150 communities with basic amenities under its urban renewal and slum upgrading initiatives over the past two years, saying it intends to achieve Sustainable Development Goals eleven (11) and six (6).

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, made the disclosure when playing host to Society for Water and Sanitation, (NEWSAN) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

Dangiwa said that housing ministry is set to explore partnership with the NGO to strengthen advocacy for water, sanitation and hygiene across the country, noting that their activities align with the goals, particularly in urban development and slum upgrading drive.

He explained that the ministry provides security, electricity, solar street lighting, drainages, roads, water, and sanitation in urban areas, in addition to provision of micro-stores and other basic amenities, where needed.

“The Ministry’s willingness to collaborate, emphasize its importance in enhancing data-driven planning and interventions, and we are aiming to achieve SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by addressing SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).”

The Housing Minister however acknowledged that due to budgetary constraints, the Ministry’s interventions do not currently cover the entire country, and in addition, they are ready to collaborate with the Society for Water and Sanitation moving forward.

He argued that many legislators often channel constituency projects to the Ministry for execution, particularly in the area of water and sanitation, explaining that out of every ten interventions received, more than 60 percent are usually directed toward water and sanitation.

“Our legislators consider it a more impactful intervention compared to other projects such as motorcycles and similar items sometimes provided for constituents,” Dangiwa added.

He emphasized that Special Projects Unit (SPU) has been actively involved in delivering interventions, saying that over the past two years, the Ministry has reached more than 150 communities with basic amenities under urban renewal initiatives.

“The roles of other departments, including the Urban and Regional Development Department and the Engineering Services Department, which contribute to similar intervention projects through budgetary provisions and technical implementation.”

The Minister therefore maintained that they have been actively engaged in these interventions over the years, and they will do more once our budgetary allocations increased or when they get any interventions from some of our partners.

He assured them that the Ministry will continue to collaborate, exchange ideas, and share relevant data with them, further stating that the Ministry will document projects before and after interventions in order to show the impact of its work.

Also,the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, informed the team that the Ministry is already addressing issues related to water and sanitation, despite challenges of inadequate funding.

While welcoming the timeliness of the visit, Belgore explained that it presents an opportunity to incorporate the construction of safe toilets in markets and other public places into the Ministry’s sanitation interventions.

Earlier, National Coordinator NEWSAN, Mr. Benson Attah, said they work with community based and NGOs to ensure every citizen has access to safe water and sanitation, commending the efforts of the ministry in providing shelter and partner to achieve the goals of safe water and improved sanitation.

Attah recalled the 2018 national state of emergency on water, sanitation, and hygiene declared by former administration, alongside Public Order 009 which prohibits open defecation under the Clean Nigeria campaign.

He declared : states were assigned to implement open defecation-free zones, in line with Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (safe sanitation and hygiene), as well as its regional obligations under the Africa Union’s water and sanitation framework.

Explaining further, the Coordinator added that despite these efforts, only Jigawa and Katsina States have so far achieved the Open Defecation Free status nationwide, urging them to use its influence to promote it in zones, and proposed to include provisions for water, sanitation, and hygiene in contracts with contractors.