Ikorodu North expands spending on water and sanitation as partners push for sustainable community-led services
By Bunmi Yekini
WaterAid Nigeria and the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), with the council increasing its investment in the sector to about N100 million.
The commitment was announced at a WASH stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Ikeja, where government officials, community leaders and residents reviewed progress on water and sanitation projects and discussed strategies to sustain them.
WaterAid Nigeria’s WASH Manager, Godfrey Iloha, said the organisation works with governments to influence policies and public investment rather than directly constructing water facilities.
“We work with state and local governments to influence policies and investments that will ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene,” Iloha said.
He said WaterAid had helped establish a platform in Ikorodu North that enabled residents to engage directly with elected officials on WASH challenges, leading to stronger government commitment.
According to Iloha, the council initially committed N70 million to replicate three WaterAid-inspired projects but has since increased the investment to about N100 million.
He described the increase as a significant step towards improving access to safe water and sanitation, adding that the council had replicated three community projects using WaterAid’s model.
Chairman of the Community Development Committee for Ikorodu North, Adeniran Ogunbanwo, said communities had taken ownership of completed projects while the council intervened when technical or financial support was required.
He said three new water facilities were under construction and that the first was expected to be completed next month.
The council had also intensified campaigns against open defecation and was encouraging private sector investment in public toilets and water facilities, Ogunbanwo said.
He added that improvements had also been made to primary healthcare facilities, including expanding services at Odonla Primary Health Centre, upgrading additional centres and converting electrically powered boreholes to solar-powered systems.
Deputy Mayor and Vice Chairman Matthew Aliu said the council had partnered with WaterAid since 2022 to improve access to water and sanitation in schools, markets, healthcare facilities and communities.
Aliu, who represented LCDA Chairman Ibrahim Apanishile, said the council had repaired damaged WASH infrastructure and established systems to ensure facilities remained functional beyond the current administration.
He said eight of the council’s 10 primary healthcare centres had been equipped with solar-powered water systems based on WaterAid’s model, supplying treated and chlorinated water for public use.
Aliu said WaterAid had supported the construction of more than 20 water facilities across Ikorodu North, helping accelerate access to safe water and sanitation in the area.
WaterAid says access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is a fundamental human right and has urged governments to sustain investment in community-led WASH services to reduce preventable diseases and improve public health.