By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and UNICEF is conducting another WASH – NORM Survey in Nigeria to track the latest information on access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
In a statement by NBS Head of Public Affairs & International Relations Joel Sunday Ichedi, weekend, the Survey will be the third in a series after similar ones conducted in 2018 and 2019 respectively. WASH is an acronym for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene while, NORM is National Outcome Routine Mapping.
The report of WASH – NORM 1 Survey conducted in 2018 shows; only 11 per cent of the population has access to complete basic water, sanitation and hygiene services, while that of WASH – NORM 11 in 2009 recorded only 9 per cent.
In 2018, about 68 per cent of Nigerians have access to basic drinking water services as against 70 per cent in 2019.
The use of basic sanitation services was 42 per cent in 2018 as against 44 per cent 2019. The 2018 report also indicates that, 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation as against 46 million in 2019. In 2018, only 21 per cent of the households had handwashing facilities available on the premises with water and soap as against 16 per cent that had access to basic hygiene services.
In 2019 WASH – NORM 11 Survey, two modules (Water Quality and WASH Accounts) were introduced. Slightly more than a third (66 per cent) of drinking water from sources and points of consumption within households are free from contamination. Households in Nigeria spent up to 3.3 trillion naira or 9 billion dollars on water, sanitation and hygiene.
“These incidences posed a significant risk to public health and well – being of Nigerians, as a result, more information is needed to gain further insight into this challenge to develop appropriate and better – informed solutions” the statement disclosed.
According to statement, the WASH – NORM 111 Survey is being conducted to provide quality data to the Nigerian Government to enable evidence – based decision making, track changes on SDG 6 as well as the efficient application of resources towards the improvement of access to WASH services in Nigeria.
The Survey process which commenced with the flag – off of Training of Trainers (TOT) on the 14th of April, 2021(lasted three days) in Abuja, will be followed by Training of Enumerators (TOE) from 4 -7th of May, 2021 at NBS 36 state offices and FCT. Data collection will cover all the states of the federation and FCT.
Forty enumeration areas will be selected and canvassed in each state and FCT, except for Lagos and Kano where 40 enumeration areas will be selected and canvassed at the senatorial level, amounting to a total of 1,640 enumeration areas across the country. The duration of the fieldwork is fifteen days (15) days beginning from 8th of May, 2021.
The NBS therefore “is appealing to our esteemed respondents to give our enumerators the necessary cooperation and information for a successful conduct of the survey”, the statement added.
