LAWARSCO PATNERS WITH NETHERLANDS FIRM TO TRAIN STAKEHOLDERS ON FAECAL SLUDGE MANAGEMENT
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In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which calls for access to clean water and adequate sanitation for all, the Lagos State Government is implementing efforts to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases through efficient control of fecal sludge management.
In order to achieve this, the state government, together with the FSM Alliance of the Netherlands, conducted a one-day workshop on the fecal sludge management (FSM) toolbox for stakeholders on Monday at the Radisson Hotel in Ikeja.
Speaking at the workshop, LASWARCO’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Funke Adepoju, recalled that Ikeja Municipality was chosen as a pilot project for the development of the SSP to be adopted statewide, while Lagos was chosen as one of the three beneficiaries for the implementation of the Sanitation Safety Plan (SSP) in Nigeria in August 2022.
She claimed that the state’s sanitation system was in a terrible state as a result of the field inspections carried out in support of the SSP, and that now that the SSP had been validated, its implementation was crucial in accordance with Section 312 (1) (viii) of the Lagos State Environmental Management Protection Law 2017, which gives LASWARCO the authority to “ensure that the functions of water supply and sewerage services are properly carried out in the State”.
“The essence of managing faecal sludge is amongst others to safeguard the environment and protect water resources of the State and mitigate events on waterborne diseases.
“To this end, it is pertinent to up-skill critical sector players in the State in sustainably managing faecal sludge, hence this training on faecal sludge management.
“This effort is also geared towards effective and efficient management of the value chain in the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of faecal sludge, with its attendant economic and environmental benefits,” Adepoju said.
The workshop, according to her, was also in line with the THEMES Agenda of the state government, particularly the health and environment pillar, as it had been proven through empirical research that there is a connection between effective environmental management and the health of locals.
She added that the capacity-building workshop, which was supported by the Faecal Sludge Management Alliance (FSMA) of The Netherlands, was one of the many benefits of the Lagos International Water Conference 2022 themed: “Unlocking Investments and Sustainable Access to Clean Water and Sanitation.”
According to Engr. Adebola Matanmi, General Manager of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), the management of wastewater, including faecal sludge, continues to be a crucial issue in Nigeria that no government should play around with because of the potential health effects on the populace.
He added that the workshop was appropriately intended to increase the capacity of relevant stakeholders in the environmental ecosystem. According to him, a healthy environment necessitates effective management of wastewater, and if poorly managed, there would be a degradation of the health of the people and the environment.
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