UNICEF has urged government agencies to collaborate and optimise resources effectively and prevent duplication in WASH projects across Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa.

UNICEF WASH officer in Kano, Stella Terver, made this appeal on Friday in Zaria. She spoke during a three-day institutional WASH System Strengthening Review Meeting for the three states.

Ms Terver said, “System strengthening is about improving coordination and ensuring that agencies work together rather than in isolation.”

She noted that UNICEF had been supporting the governments of Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa for years to improve institutional WASH services.

According to her, the current focus is reviewing progress and ensuring states adhere to agreed action plans.

She added that the review was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of WASH system strengthening efforts, particularly in fostering collaboration among different agencies.

According to her, UNICEF is assessing the roles of key agencies—including the education ministry, SUBEB, and primary healthcare centres. This is to ensure their activities align with those of RUWASA (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency).

According to her, a lack of coordination among these agencies often leads to project duplication and unnecessary resource wastage.

Ms Terver noted that closing these gaps through improved collaboration was essential to ensuring more children benefitted from WASH services.

A WASH expert, Ishaku Ziyok, specialising in system strengthening, shared his observations from visiting the three states.

He noted that institutional strengthening efforts were beginning to yield results, with key agencies such as RUWASA, SUBEB, and the Primary Health Care Development Agency working more closely together.

According to him, this synergy is already helping to prevent project duplication, as schools in genuine need of support are being identified, especially for solar-powered boreholes.

Some participants expressed satisfaction with the projects that were executed in the states.

They, however, pointed out that overlapping projects could lead to wasteful spending and hinder progress in crucial sectors like health, education, and water sanitation.

(NAN)