EU/NDSP: RSG Pays N19m Counterpart Fund

The Rivers State Government has paid the sum of N19 million counterpart fund for the provision of Water to Opobo/Nkoro and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas under the EU/Niger Delta Support programme.
This was disclosed at a two-day workshop organized by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) for the establishment of media Networking for WASH programming in Rivers State.
The UNICEF also said that it was prepared to continue with its 100 percent funding for capacity building of state and local government officials for the programme.
According to UNICEF, two motorized boreholes with 12,000 reservoir capacities have been completed in Opobo/Nkoro, while 380 house hold latrines have been provided in Akuku-Toru and Opobo/Nkoro under the community-led total sanitation activities.
It also said that 20 schools in the two local government areas were being provided with Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has assured that it will continue to support government’s at all levels to set standard for water and sanitation.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Officer, Rivers State, Mr. Wilbroad Ngumbi, who disclosed this in an address at the workshop, also said that UNICEF will help the government to expand water facilities to more Nigerians.
“UNICEF, as you know, collaborates with governments at all levels to set standards for water and sanitation system and supplies, and supports them with innovative approaches such as community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS), a non-subsidy approach to promoting improved household sanitation”, he said.
According to Ngumbi, “one of UNICEF’s priorities is to encourage governments to expand these systems so that more Nigerians have access to sanitation and safe water”.