Nation
‘There’s Hope Of Achieving SDGs Six In Nigeria’
Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, has expressed optimism that Nigeria would achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 by 2030.
The SDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
SDGs 6 is about ensuring availability and sustainability management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Adamu, who stated this in an interview with newsmen, noted however that it would be difficult to achieve the SDGs 6 should the state governments failed to double their efforts to invest in that sector.
“But there’s a lot of work to be done, to be honest, and the work is the challenge we’re operating the federal system.
“Some states are ruled not by the governing party. So, even if it’s a party manifesto, some states are not part of it and they have their priorities, different individual governments have individual priorities.
“We have WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Survey to monitor progress on the SDG 6 targets. Some states are doing well while most others are not.
“We have seen improvements from sharing that information and some states really don’t seem to care but we’ll keep pushing,”, he said.
Adamu said the three tiers of government needed to triple the current investment in the sector to achieve the SDGs targets by 2030.
“This is expected to help in bridging the investment gap in meeting the SDG 6 targets and creating a self-sustaining, climate friendly, and gender centric cycle of economic growth and human development”, he stated.
According to him, from the 2022 Report, the Sanitation Economy and Menstrual Hygiene Marketplace in Nigeria was estimated at US$6.9 billion in 2021, with the potential to grow to US$14.3 billion by 2030.
“These can generate positive, measurable social, economic and environmental impact alongside promising financial returns as Nigeria engages in shaping the market, building exciting partnerships and harnessing the investment opportunities.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the sector but there has to be stimulus from government. We are not saying all these money will be spent by Government.
“We are talking about joint investment between three tiers of government.”.
The minister further said issues of water and sanitation are the prerogative of the State Governments, urging them to invest more in the provision of potable water and basic sanitation to their citizens.
“Look at statistics; if you should go by the Sustainable Development target, less than 10 per cent of our schools and health institutions have adequate water and sanitation and hygiene facility,” he said.
“It’s terrible and the population keeps rising quickly so we need to triple our investment in the WASH sector”, he said.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.