By Frank Ulom
Ekondo Microfinance Bank and ToiletPride have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth N35 million to support Sanitation Financing Programme for Toilet Business Owners (TBOs) in Cross River State.
The agreement was signed last week Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting on Accelerating Sanitation Coverage in Cross River State held at Hogis Hotel, Calabar, with support from the Cross River State Government and development partner, Self Help Africa (SHA).
The initiative is designed to improve access to financing for toilet business owners, enabling them to expand sanitation-related enterprises and contribute to efforts aimed at increasing sanitation coverage across communities in the state.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Ekondo Microfinance Bank, Charles Efedodama, described the partnership as a significant milestone in advancing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Cross River State.
Efedodama said the collaboration reflected the bank’s commitment to sustainable development through strategic partnerships that create both social and economic impact.
“Today’s ceremony marks another important step in our collective commitment towards improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene services within our communities,” he said.
He noted that Ekondo Microfinance Bank was pleased to partner with ToiletPride and other development agencies that share a common vision of building healthier and more resilient communities.
According to him, the partnership is expected to create new opportunities for inclusive financing, community empowerment and improved living standards for residents.
“We are confident that this partnership will open new opportunities for inclusive financing, community empowerment and improved living standards of our people,” Efedodama stated.
The Executive Director of ToiletPride, Chukwuma Nnanna, said the organisation had been working in Cross River State for the past two years alongside Self Help Africa and the Network of Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) to improve sanitation access, particularly in Yala Local Government Area.
He explained that while the organisation had made progress in organising and supporting toilet business owners, one major challenge remained unresolved. “The greatest of all that we’re not able to treat is access to funding and financing on how to expand their businesses,” Nnanna said.
He disclosed that ToiletPride approached several financial institutions in search of a suitable financing partner before reaching an agreement with Ekondo Microfinance Bank. “We started a negotiation, and the product or result of that negotiation is what you see today in this meeting,” he said.
Nnanna expressed appreciation to the bank, the Ministry of Water Resources, RUWATSSA and other stakeholders for their support, adding that the financing programme would create fresh opportunities within the sanitation sector and enable more entrepreneurs to participate in the growing market.
He urged stakeholders to take ownership of the initiative to ensure its success and long-term sustainability.
Also speaking, the Cross River State Commissioner for Water Resources, Barr. Bassey Mensah, commended Ekondo Microfinance Bank for supporting sanitation development but stressed the need for accountability mechanisms to ensure that beneficiaries utilise the funds for their intended purposes.
“Are we going to use the funds for the purpose it is meant for? It is very fundamental,” Mensah said.
He warned that without proper monitoring and supervision, beneficiaries could divert the funds to unrelated activities, thereby undermining the objectives of the programme.
“There should be checks and balances. We cannot be spending money every year and not see how the project trickles down to the people,” he said.
The commissioner appealed to ToiletPride and other implementing partners to establish effective structures for monitoring beneficiaries and ensuring compliance with programme guidelines.
He further urged all stakeholders entrusted with responsibilities under the initiative to discharge their duties diligently in order to achieve meaningful results.
In his goodwill message, the Cross River State Coordinator of Self Help Africa (SHA), Ferdinand Anok, described the MoU as evidence that the WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme was beginning to produce tangible outcomes.
Anok said the programme, which has been implemented in the state for more than two years, focuses on building systems that promote good governance and sustainable financing within the WASH sector.
He linked the agreement to the recently launched Cross River State WASH Financing Strategy, which emphasises increased private sector participation in addressing sanitation challenges.
According to him, governments and development partners have traditionally borne the responsibility of financing the WASH sector, but existing funding gaps require broader collaboration.
“There is a huge financing gap that exists. Government alone cannot do it. Development partners alone cannot do it,” Anok said.
He noted that despite decades of intervention by development organisations, sanitation and water services have yet to adequately cover all 18 local government areas of the state.
Anok, therefore, lauded Ekondo Microfinance Bank for taking the lead in exploring innovative financing solutions for the sanitation sector. “I want to especially thank Ekondo Bank for pioneering this initiative,” he said.
He also described the partnership as a proof of concept that could pave the way for other financial institutions to support sanitation enterprises.
“This is the first partnership, so if it fails, it means that financing the WASH sector through financial institutions is not possible. We need to make this work so that we can scale to other LGAs,” Anok added.
On their parts, Yala Local Chairman, Dr Fred Okem; RUWATSSA General Manager, Hon. Sunday Oko; and STG-WASH Chairman and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Okon Ita, expressed optimism that the N35 million sanitation financing programme would strengthen toilet businesses, expand access to sanitation facilities and contribute to the state’s efforts to achieve improved public health outcomes through sustainable sanitation services.
The event was also attended by the State House of Assembly, NEWSAN, LTG WASH, State Planning Commission, Toilet Business Owners Network, WASH Media Network and other stakeholders.
