The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) as a sustainable strategy to achieve universal access to safe sanitation in the country.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist at the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Monday Johnson, made the call on Wednesday at a two-day media dialogue in Ilaji town, Oyo State, to improve urban sanitation in Nigeria.

The workshop was organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information in collaboration with UNICEF to equip media professionals with the knowledge and skills to raise advocacy in support of WASH services.

Participants in the media dialogue were drawn from the six South-West states and Edo State.

Mr Johnson said an inclusive sanitation strategy would protect public health and unlock the economic benefits of waste management in urban areas.

On how the CWIS model works, the WASH expert said that the strategy is flexible and adaptable to different settlement types, from high-income areas to informal settlements.

“You cannot apply the same sanitation solution for high-income and low-income settlements.
CWIS defines what kind of facilities are appropriate for each area, ensuring that everyone, rich or poor, has safe and affordable access to sanitation,” he said.

According to him, CWIS strengthens governance and accountability by clearly defining the roles of each agency and establishing regulatory frameworks to monitor private sector participation.

The UNICEF WASH specialist called on governments at all levels to adopt and fund the strategy for its inherent advantages.

He noted that the CWIS approach, already being implemented in some developing countries, guarantees sanitation access for all urban residents while promoting health, environmental protection, economic growth, and gender equity.

“CWIS ensures access for all, protects public health, safeguards the environment, enhances urban resilience, and strengthens governance and accountability. It also promotes gender equity and dignity and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” he said.

Mr Johnson said that the country’s slow progress in sanitation was due to weak institutional capacity, inadequate human resource development and poor urban sanitation data.

“We are really not moving very fast because there are big institutional and human resource capacity gaps. More people need to be trained on urban sanitation management, and the institutions need to be strengthened. We do not have reliable urban sanitation data in Nigeria.

“Without good data, planning becomes difficult. The government must use this evidence to reform policies and reconstruct strategies,” he said.

Mr Johnson emphasised that sanitation was not just a health issue but also an economic opportunity if properly managed through the sanitation value chain.

(NAN)