Strategic objective 2

WaterAid Nigeria will influence others to prioritise the provision of water and sanitation for the poorest people.

WaterAid Nigeria's investment in the sector is not enough to achieve universal access to safe water and improved sanitation. However, working in partnerships with others and influencing them to prioritise water and sanitation for the poor and adopt WaterAid's best practice will go a long way to tackling many of the obstacles identified in the sector such as political bias, limited local government capacity, and weak sector co-ordination. This will be achieved through four specific objectives.

Specific Objective 2.1: WaterAid Nigeria will demonstrate through practical examples that sustainable and equitable water and sanitation services are essential to achieve the overall Millennium Development Goal of poverty reduction and the targets on health, education and environment. The concept of "Local MDGs"  will be broadened by breaking the national level MDGs down to the LGA level,. This will shift local development actions from a project-based to a programme-based approach, enabling local communities to gain a comprehensive vision of the development situation at the local level, including water, sanitation, health, education, etc. We will provide local communities and local governments with a wider perspective and offer tools for decision-making and influence on the allocation of resources.

Specific Objective 2.2: WaterAid Nigeria and its partners will monitor, support and lobby other organisations to strengthen their own water and sanitation work. The Country Programme will promote improved co-ordination of local, state and federal government, civil society and private agencies. We will encourage communication and replication of successful approaches. We will reinforce existing structures of delivery and work with them to improve the quality of policy and practice.

Specific Objective 2.3: WaterAid Nigeria will increase public awareness of the water rights of poor people to create an enabling environment for all agencies in the sector. This will empower citizens to be able to act on their own behalf. WaterAid Nigeria will bring together allies from relevant sectors to raise awareness and demand for water, sanitation and hygiene, to assist in delivery of resources and services and to strengthen community participation in order to increase sustainability and self-reliance. WaterAid Nigeria will raise awareness of access rights at national policy and decision-making levels and among the general public in order to increase sector intervention.

Specific Objective 2.4: WaterAid Nigeria will expand the number of organisations that work using WaterAid's methods through strategic partnerships. WaterAid Nigeria is already working in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, some state agencies/governments, DFID, EU and UNICEF. We will increase the number of such collaborations and develop further opportunities for experience sharing, policy collaboration and implementation support.