EKO HOT BLOG reports that Lagos State Government is putting measures in place to combat waterborne diseases through effective regulation of Faecal Sludge Management.
The government said these measures are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6), which stipulates clean water and sanitation for all.
The state government, through the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), organized a One-day Workshop on Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Toolbox for stakeholders in partnership with FSM Alliance of The Netherlands.
Speaking at the workshop, Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Mrs Funke Adepoju recalled that in August 2022, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) selected Lagos as one of the three beneficiaries for the implementation of the Sanitation Safety Plan (SSP) in Nigeria.
Also, Ikeja Municipality was selected as a pilot scheme for the development of the SSP to be adopted Statewide.
She said the field inspections conducted in furtherance of the SSP revealed that the sanitation situation in the State was in a dire state and that having validated the SSP, its implementation had become important as mandated by Section 312 (1) (viii) of the Lagos State Environmental Management Protection Law 2017 which empowers LASWARCO 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.
On his part, the General Manager of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), Engr Adebola Matanmi said the management of wastewater, including faecal sludge, remains a critical issue in Nigeria that any government should not toy with considering the health implications to residents.
Participants at the workshop were drawn from LASWARCO, LSWMO, Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nigeria, Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, and Lagos State Office of Environmental Services, among others.
The participants were extensively trained in the FSM Toolbox, a set of implementation tools that can help users determine the best FSM plan in any setting. It includes an assessment tool, a planning tool, and a diagnostics and decisions support tool.
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