By Frank Ulom
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) has convened a high-level three-day advocacy strategy workshop for its Kano and Cross River chapters, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable domestic financing, strengthened accountability frameworks, and climate-responsive implementation in Nigeria’s water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector.
Held at the Women Environmental Programme (WEP) in Abuja, during the week, the workshop brought together key stakeholders to design structured, evidence-driven advocacy roadmaps aimed at influencing state-level policy, improving enforcement mechanisms, and institutionalising social accountability platforms. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with Self Help Africa under the WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Project.
Speaking at the opening session, NEWSAN National Coordinator, Engr. Attah Benson, described the engagement as a strategic pivot for Nigeria’s WASH advocacy ecosystem, particularly in light of shrinking global funding flows. He emphasised that advocacy must transition from rhetoric to structured engagement grounded in data, community voices, and measurable outcomes.
“An advocacy strategy provides a roadmap for translating evidence and community realities into policy change and concrete action,” Benson stated, urging participants to co-develop practical frameworks that reflect local WASH challenges in Kano and Cross River States.
The workshop set out clear objectives: to establish a shared understanding of state-specific WASH priorities; strengthen policy enforcement; institutionalise social accountability mechanisms; improve transparency in planning and reporting; promote inclusive and gender-responsive systems; integrate findings from LGA-wide assessments and climate resilience studies into advocacy planning; and develop a multi-stakeholder roadmap to deepen ownership of the WS4H initiative.
In what the attendees describe as a strong policy signal, NEWSAN acknowledged the implications of recent global funding withdrawals, particularly by the United States Government, on Nigeria’s WASH landscape. Benson said the shift presents an opportunity to recalibrate the sector’s financing architecture toward sustainable domestic resource mobilisation.
“Given current global funding realities, there is an urgent need for the WASH sector to look inward and develop alternative sources of financing,” he said, framing homegrown funding as essential to long-term sector resilience.
Beyond financing, NEWSAN reiterated its commitment to transparency and climate-aligned implementation. The organisation announced plans to advocate for standardised templates to improve fund management transparency and strengthen oversight of the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme across participating states.
It also pledged to expand awareness and uptake of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM) to reinforce sector-wide performance tracking and commitment monitoring.
Crucially, NEWSAN signalled its intention to push for the integration of WASH priorities into Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), positioning water and sanitation services as central pillars of climate resilience, public health protection, and sustainable development.
Describing the moment as pivotal, Benson declared that the organisation’s goal remains clear: to ensure WASH is recognised and financed as a cornerstone of public health and human dignity.
The workshop reflects a decisive shift within Nigeria’s WASH advocacy space, from reliance on external funding to structured domestic resource mobilisation, institutional accountability, and climate-responsive governance.
