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Expenditure on Sanitation and Hygiene Frees Funds for Other Sectors- Ikeazor
Expenditure on Sanitation and Hygiene Frees Funds for Other Sectors- Ikeazor
Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor has said expenditure on sanitation and hygiene should never be considered a waste as it frees several funds for other sectors.
Speaking at the commemoration of this year’s Global Hand Washing Day at the Federal Government Boys’ College, Apo, Abuja, the Minister said: “Addressing sanitation and hygiene challenges in the country is a necessary and worthwhile investment for government at all levels and is a way to significantly improve the health, education, social and economic status of the country.
“This is because, for every One Hundred naira (N100) spent improving sanitation and hygiene, between Three Hundred (N300) and Four Hundred Naira (N400) is saved which can be invested in health, education, social and economic development.”
She said: “Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to call on Nigerians especially those in places of authority (public or private) to ensure adequate provision for Sanitation and Hygiene including handwashing facilities at all times.”
Ikeazor said: “This year’s theme “Our Future is at hand-let’s Move Forward Together” could not be more apt and timely, considering the critical role hand hygiene plays in preventing and controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The theme is also a clarion call for the global community to work together and leverage lessons learned from response to COVID-19 to address the perennial neglect of hand hygiene as a major means of preventing disease transmission.”
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The Minister said: “It is well-known that a large number of children die every year due to sanitation and hygiene enabled diseases.”
She lamented that globally, basic hand hygiene was often neglected, due to lack of access to handwashing facilities in key places, decrying that “40% of world’s population or 3 billion people do not have handwashing facilities with water and soap at home. More than 3.5 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases and this is not a small figure. Children, who are less than 5years old, are more prone to such diseases because of lack of knowledge about the importance of handwashing. The simple act of washing hands with soap can reduce infections by 50% and respiratory diseases by 25%. Hand washing saves lives.”
She said the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effect globally has further underscored the fact that access to Sanitation and Hygiene is not only a fundamental human right that safeguards public health and human dignity, but also an essential need when it comes to disease prevention.
She added that the pandemic provides an important reminder that hand hygiene is a fundamental component of health and safety, noting that this year’s Global Handwashing Day therefore calls on countries to start planning for the future as they continue to strengthen their COVID-19 response and accelerate their pace for full recovery, a move that will reduce vulnerability to new outbreaks and help countries control diarrheal and respiratory diseases.
Ikeazor disclosed that the choice of a school to commemorate this year’s global hand washing day is quite deliberate as children including those at school are at particular risk of infections associated with poor water, sanitation and hygiene.
She said: “Therefore, in marking this year’s event, we are carrying out proper hygiene education and handwashing promotion for schools in order to entrench the culture of proper handwashing in children and help prevent disease transmission, particularly diarrhea and pneumonia, two of the leading causes of death in children globally.”
Expenditure on Sanitation and Hygiene Frees Funds for Other Sectors- Ikeazor
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.
The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.
The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.
Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.
Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.
Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.
The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.
Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.
These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.
Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”
The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;
Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.
The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.
It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.
With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.
UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series
Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have killed three persons and injured three others in an attack on Galadi town, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.
Sources confirmed the incident saying the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 27.
The sources said the bandits stormed the town, shooting sporadically, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the scene. The corpses and injured victims were evacuated to Galadi Primary Health Care Centre for autopsy and treatment.
Meanwhile, a manhunt for the fleeing culprits has been intensified, as the bandits escaped before the arrival of the joint forces,” the sources said.
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