Featured
FMWR appreciates CERI’s call for gender mainstreaming into water, sanitation provision
Mustapha Suleiman
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) has expressed appreciation to the Community Emergency Response Initiative- (CERI) for stressing the need for gender consideration and inclusiveness in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene-(WASH) services across the country.
CERI Executive Director Mr. Benson Attah got the ministry`s commendation during an advocacy visit to the Gender Unit of the Ministry.
Attah said that it is always important to ensure that, “No One is Left Behind in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene-(WASH) Services across the country. He went further to say that, Safe drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights and are essential to life and all other rights.
The CERI Coordinator explained how Covid-19 pandemic has come to justify the Number-One Position of water, sanitation and hygiene-(WASH) across the world which previously was not given its pride of place stating that, “ Human rights and the rights to water and sanitation in international law are crucial in ensuring that everyone has access to the basic necessities of life, including water and sanitation. He described human rights as the best legal protection people have.
According to him, “As duty-bearers, governments and any third party contracted to provide water and sanitation services are legally obliged to realise people’s human rights. As rights-holders, people have the power to challenge the denial of these rights. The human rights principles of accountability, equity, non-discrimination and participation are persuasive morally as well as legally.’’
Mr. Benson appreciated the Federal Government for always bridging the gap between the states and local governments, saying the State has the primary responsibility to ensure the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene – (WASH) services which the federal ministry of water resources is currently doing, just as he pointed out that this has led to the state government neglecting their responsibility in this area.
The Executive Director of CERI called on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to always ensure gender mainstreaming and ensuring inclusiveness necessary in the provision of WASH service delivery ranging from the facilities provided at home, schools, offices, market places, bus and train stations including stadia. He emphasized the need for ensuring gender consideration at every stage, ensuring participation right from policy formation to actual implementation including monitoring and evaluation. Speaking further, the CERI Executive Director observed that main streaming gender and human rights into WASH service provision is to also, ensure that the rights of women, girls, boys and men are duly attended to in delivering water, sanitation and hygiene service provision.
The State governments were further called upon to emulate the federal government in areas where reasonable impacts have been made towards enhancing achievement of National and Global WASH goals by fast tracking the implementation of Clean Nigeria Campaign and PEWASH, WASHNORM, by putting financial instrument in place to support the campaigns in states.
According to Attah, other commendable efforts of the federal government include, “establishment of Open Defecation (ODF) Roadmap, declaration of state of emergency in WASH sector and the signing of Executive order (009) against open defecation practice by the federal government.’’
Attah frowned at situations where some state government still have to wait for the federal government to come and intervene in the current cholera situation in over 20 states and the FCT currently being affected which would have been prevented if the affected state governments have played their roles.
CERI is a community based non-governmental organisation committed to water, sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria.
Responding, the Head of Gender and Human Rights Unit, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Nkechi Ayogu Eze said that the ministry is quite aware of the laudable support of the NGO, saying it will remain a strategic partner of the ministry in the eradication of poor sanitation and unsafe water, not only in the cities but in rural areas that are mostly lacking social amenities.
She assured CERI of commensurable collaboration that will be of mutual benefits to the people, government and the organisation, urging them to sustain the tempo
Featured
Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.
The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.
Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.
According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.
“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.
“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”
The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.
Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.
“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.
Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.
Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.
He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.
Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.
He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.
To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization
Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.
Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.
“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.
In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee
is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.
The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured7 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
