Calabar, Nigeria – The Cross River State Task Group on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (STG-WASH) held its inaugural meeting on Thursday at the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) Conference Room, Calabar Municipality, to chart a path for advancing WASH initiatives in the state.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Okon Ita, commended attendees and emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to address challenges in the sector. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revitalising the WASH sector, which he noted had declined in recent years.
“We need to meet to improve the WASH sector. Take this assignment seriously; all we want is to revitalise the sector,” he stated.
The meeting focused on strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to drive the state’s WASH agenda.
Members were nominated to key vacant positions, with Mr Archibong Jeremiah of the WASH Media Network selected as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Mr Eni Nkanu of the Ministry of Water Resources as the Resource Mobilisation Officer (RMO).
Additionally, a committee was formed to draft Terms of Reference (TORs) for four technical working groups: water supply, sanitation and hygiene, WASH in emergencies, and climate change and research.
Stakeholders also conducted a capacity assessment session via Menti.com, identifying gaps that require targeted interventions.
The meeting concluded with the drafting of a three-month cost work plan (January–March 2025), aligning proposed activities with the upcoming STG-WASH inauguration.
The work plan aims to provide actionable steps for sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions across Cross River State.