The Network of Female Professionals in Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene in Nigeria (FEMinWASH) and Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHCON) have agreed to promote access to water supply in the country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, EHCON Registrar, Yakubu Buba, explained that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will give birth to new partnerships at the national and sub-national level for the benefit of Nigerians.
Buba also stated that one of the symbols of the pact is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda and commitment to providing clean and functional public toilets to eradicate open defecation by the year 2025.
He said: “We have engaged female environmental health officers that are working towards achieving sanitation services in the states and local councils. We account for 60 per cent of the manpower and provide an enabling environment for the private to build more toilets.
“We have mapped out 21 open defecation sites in Abuja for mitigation. People must have access to decent toilets. We will also focus on women’s menstrual hygiene management that involves federal ministries of Health, Water Resources and Environment,” he added.
The President, FEMinWASH, Dr Boluwaji Onabolu, said the organisation will use existing agreements it has nationally and with the Water Institute of Southern Africa to build the capacity of environmental health Officers, particularly the female environmental health officers.
According to her, FEMinWASH will also use its network of female professionals, which includes development partners, government officers, policymakers, academics, international and national non-governmental organisations, professional associations to assist EHCON in increasing awareness within and outside the environment and water resources sector.
Also, the female members of EHCON will be registered as members of FEMinWASH, while executive officers of the group will engage with the executive of the council to conduct a SWOT analysis of EHCON.
