IBSDLEIP Initiates Training Program to Enhance Hygiene Promotion in 858 Communities Across Sardauna
By Worldview Magazine
The Taraba State Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program has commenced training the trainers programme focused on hygiene promotion and sanitation in Gembu, Sardauna Local Government Area.
The training program brought trainers from diverse communities within Sardauna Local Government Area, who will receive advanced training on hygiene and community-led total sanitation.
It aimed at transforming lives, promoting dignity, and ensuring a healthier future for children in particular across 158 of communities of Sardauna Local Government Area.
The state Project Coordinator of Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program, Mr Julius Audu Tubasen represented by the Team Lead WASH, Mr. Habu Jatau, stated that findings from the 2018 WASH survey revealed that 24% of Nigeria’s population, approximately 46 million people, practice open defecation.
He said the research shows that poor sanitation and open defecation practices result in over 1000 annual deaths of children under five due to diarrhea, with 90 percent of cases directly tied to unhygienic water and sanitation conditions.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with backing from the African Development Bank and various development partners, including civil society, media, private sector, and the people of Nigeria, is leading the charge on the Clean Nigeria campaign, focusing on toilet use to end open defecation by 2025 and achieve universal access to safe sanitation, stated Mr. Jatau.
The Taraba State Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program has initiated a groundbreaking approach to eliminate open defecation and foster community sanitation.
The new innovation, known as Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), aims to achieve a significant milestone by the end of this year. Following extensive sensitization and awareness campaigns on the risks associated with open defecation and the benefits of a clean environment, the initiative seeks to transform the perception of the people in Sardauna Local Government Area, ultimately declaring it open defecation-free, before expanding the approach to other Local Government Areas in the State.
He credited the project’s success to the dedication of Governor Agbu Kefas’ administration, which has been praised for effectively maintaining the African Development Bank loan, thereby supporting the project’s achievements in Taraba State
He said, one of the most notable events in Taraba’s recent history is the administration of Dr. Agbu Kefas, marked by the Governor’s unwavering commitment to improving the lives of all Tarabans, with particular emphasis on those at the grassroots level across all Local Government Areas.
He noted that the IBSDLEIP has implemented various projects, including construction of schools, healthcare facilities, solar power systems, and hand-pump boreholes, as well as empowerment programs for vulnerable women and youths in almost all Local Government Areas of Taraba State, made achievable through Governor Agbu Kefas’s commitment to loan repayment, thereby allowing the Taraba State Government to benefit from its partnership with the African Development Bank.
Salihu Abdulkarim, Leader of Sardauna Legislative Council and representative of the Chairman of Sardauna Local Government Area, thanked Taraba State Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program for the training, pledged the local government’s backing, and praised IBSDLEIP for choosing Sardauna as a starting point.
Dr. Sam Andenyang and Mr. David Okpikpi, WASH consultants, highlighted the immeasurable benefits and impact of the training on local communities, noting that upon completion in Sardauna, residents would experience a significant shift in mindset regarding open defecation practices, sanitation, and healthy living.
The workshop and fieldwork will last 20 days, with 5 days dedicated to training sessions and 15 days to practical field exercises across 858 communities in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.