SANITATION SERVICES IN BAYELSA STATE

BY
Peter Cookey
Steering Committee Member Representing Anglophone
African Countries
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council,
Geneva

Lecturer, Rivers State College of Health Science &

Technology
BAYELSA STATE CELEBRATION
President, OF ENVIRONMENTAL
Earth Watch HEALTH WEEK
Research Institute

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 Introduction
Improvements in practice of disposing of human
excreta and other wastes management techniques
are crucial to raising levels of public health.
However an increasing amount of health associated
problems result from lack of sanitation facilities,
especially among the rural and the poor who live in
our communities.
Kalbermattan John M. et al (1980) observed that
proper sanitation promotes health, improves the
quality of the environment and thus, the quality of
life in a community.

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 Definition
 DFID (1998) defined the word sanitation to mean the safe
management of human excreta. It therefore includes both
the hardware (e.g. latrines and sewer) and the software
(regulation, hygiene promotion) needed to reduce faecal-
oral diseases transmission.
 WSSCC(2010) defined sanitation as the management of
human excreta.
 The Nigerian Sanitation Fact Sheet (2008) noted that
sanitation ecompasses a wide range of challenges
including excreta disposal, hygiene, solid waste (garbage)
disposal, drainage etc. with clauses that this fact sheet
focuses on excreta.
 UNITAR (2009) defined sanitation as a safe collection,
storage, treatment and disposal/reuse/recycling of human
excreta (faeces and urine) and wastewater.

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 Sanitation Situations
 According to the latest population census Bayelsa State
has a population of 1.7 million people.
 Percentage of population using improved sanitation
facilities in the South –South is 26.2% (NDHS 2008)
 Percentage of population using improved sanitation
facilities in the State is 6.4% (NDHS 2008)
 Lack of proper waste management and inadequate
hygiene practices.
 Although sanitation is not available, residents do not
generally identify it as a very high priority since the open
rivers offer easy waste disposal route.
 The State is faced with serious water supply and
sanitation challenges
 Defecation directly into the open surface water/land
 Communities suffer from a weak infrastructure that
cannot supports effective delivery of water supply and
sanitation services.
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 Lagos 86.6
Akwa Ibom
Differences in the Use of
86.1
Anambra 85 Improved Sanitation
Imo 82.8 Facilities
Kaduna 82.5
FCT 80.7
Abia 73.4
Edo 68.5
Kano 67.3
Borno 65.3
Niger 61
Zamfara 60
Sokoto 55.7
Jigawa 55.1
Ondo 53.1 National 57.6%
Ogun 55
Delta 53.5
Katsina 52.6
Osun 51
Oyo 50.5
Benue 50.5
Plateau 47.9
Enugu 46.3
Rivers 43.8
Gombe 43.8
Taraba 42.1
Kebbi 42
Yobe 42
Kwara 40.6
Cross Rivers 39.4
Adamawa 38.8
Ekiti 36
Nasarawa 35.8
Bauchi 35.8
Kogi 31.5
Ebonyi 21.2
Bayelsa 14.2

0 20 40 60 80 100
Coverage (%)

Improved Sanitation
 Tunu community of Bayelsa State
Source: D.N. Ogbonna and D.Y. Idam A typical Overhung Toilet (Pier Latrine)

Earthwatch:
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 Tunu community of Bayelsa State
Source: D.N. Ogbonna and D.Y. Idam
Disposal of night soil and other wastes into the river

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Yenegoa-Bayelsa State
Source: UNEP-GPA Workshop

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 Sanitation Challenges
 Bayelsa State is not on track for the achievement
of the MDG for water supply and sanitation
 Lack of Political will
 Weak Institutional arrangements and limited
technical know-how.
 There is very poor mechanism for sector
monitoring and accountability.
 Lack of harmonization across many policies and
implementations
 Inappropriate technology options to meet both
the needs and various conditions
 Poor governance and institutional structures for
service delivery
 Low investment level in operation and
maintenance of facilities.
 Poor data collection, collation, planning,
implementation and evaluation.

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 Sanitation Challenges
 Low private sector participation in service
delivery
 Lack of appropriate tools and methodologies
for social mobilization, advocacy, demand
creation, behaviour change
 Lack of WASH programmes in Schools and
communities
 Poor knowledge of sanitation practices in the
communities
 Absence of funding for sanitation and water

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MDG Targets for Nigeria
Indicator Target
(2015)
The proportion of the population 75%
using water from improved sources

The proportion of the population 63%

using improved sanitation facilities
 80 Acceleration Required to Meet MDG Target for
Improved Water
75%

70
MDG Target

60 50%
47%
Coverage (%)

50 44%

40

30

20

1990 2006 2015

Required trend
Continuing at same rate
Current trend
Progress Required for Water
The regression shows that Nigeria is not on
tract in meeting the MDG target on use of
water from improved sources.
If the present pattern of water coverage
continues only 74.8 million out of the
estimated 170 million people will be using
water from improved sources in 2015.
This figure represents 52.7 million people
short of the MDG target.
 Acceleration Required to
80
Meet the MDG Target on 70%

70
Improved Sanitation
MDG Target

60
Coverage (%)

50

40

30 34%
30%
26%
20

1990 2006 2015

Current rate Required trend

Continuing at same rate

Coverage on Sanitation
The regression clearly shows that progress in
sanitation coverage is very minimal.
If Nigeria continues at current rate only 57.8
million out of the estimated 170 million people
will have access to improved sanitation
facilities in 2015.
This figure will represent 61.2 million people
short of the MDG target on improved
sanitation.
Adjusted MDG Sanitation target
80 Acceleration Required to
Meet the MDG Target on
70
Improved Sanitation 63%
60
Coverage (%)

MDG Target
50

40

30 34%
30%
26%
20

1990 2006 2015

Current rate Required trend

Continuing at same rate
Coverage on Sanitation
The regression clearly shows that progress
in sanitation coverage is very minimal.
If Nigeria continues at current rate only
57.8 million out of the estimated 170
million people will have access to improved
sanitation facilities in 2015.
This figure will represent 49.3 million
people short of the MDG target on
improved sanitation.
 2020:Vision and Goals for Water and Sanitation
Sector
 The medium term vision of the sector is to “ensure a
sustainable and equitable access to safe, adequate,
improved and affordable Water Supply and Sanitation for at
least 65 per cent of the population by year 2013”. The goals
within the medium term include the following:-
 To increase improved national water supply coverage from
50 per cent to 65 per cent by 2013;
 To increase national sanitation coverage from 35 per cent to
65 per cent by 2013;
 Improve minimum water supply service from 23 litres per
capita per day to 25 per litres per capita per day for rural
communities by 2013;
 Increase minimum water supply service from 30 litres per
capita per day to 40 litres per capita per day for small town
(semi-urban) communities by 2013;
 Increase minimum water supply service from 80 litres per
capita per day to 100 litres per capita per day for urban
communities.

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 2020: Policy Thrust for Water and Sanitation
Sector
 The major policy thrusts for the water supply and sanitation
subsector during the medium term are as follows:
 Increase the service level and coverage for water supply and
sanitation in (Urban, Small Towns and Rural areas) by 2013;
 Establish of legal and regulatory framework and institutional
mechanism for quality standards for potable water supply;
 Promote of capacity building, research development of projects and
programmes with respect to the outputs/results of investment and
the impact on intended beneficiaries;
 Data and information management, assessment of water
supply/sanitation and monitoring/evaluation
 Promote community participation and other stakeholders, especially
water users and the private sector;
 Strengthen the institutions responsible for water supply and
sanitation. The Water Research Institute, Kaduna should be properly
positioned for capacity and research development

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 RECOMMENDATION FOR EHOs’
We must improve our skills and competency in
the area of sanitation:
Develop Critical Thinking Skills
We must move away from inspection to develop
real auditing skills and competency
Policy and Strategy development skills
Community Let Total Sanitation (CLTS);
Community Let Self Micro-financing design to
raise funds for latrine; Ecological Sanitation
Sanitation Technological Options especially for
coastal communities
Join other relevant professional
networks/associations
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 WAY FORWARD
 Declares an emergency situation for sanitation and water
supply in the State
 Strong community structure and well mobilised
community members and communities are actively
involved in programme planning and management
 Functional LGA WASH unit/department facilitating
programme
 Development of Community action plans and LGAs
actions plans
 Prompt service delivery and acceptable quality to the
community
 Adequate budgetary provisions made for sanitation and
hygene development
 Effective coordination and management in place for
sanitation and hygiene
 Clear roles and responsibilities of the State and LGA
should be well defined
 Jetty toilets are not sanitation-wise because they pollute
the water the people depend on their daily living

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 THANK YOU

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