Kaduna: An NGO, Carelink Resource Foundation (CRF), has called for urgent and sustained action to ensure every Nigerian child has access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. The foundation made the call in a statement signed by its Director of Programmes, Mr. Silas Ideva, to commemorate the 2026 Day of the African Child (DAC).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Day of the African Child was established in 1991 by the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, to celebrate African children. DAC is annually marked on June 16 to honor the memory of the 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa, where thousands of black students protested against poor education and the imposition of Afrikaans in schools. The protests were met with violent suppression, resulting in more than 170 deaths, including children as young as 12, and hundreds of injuries. The 2026 edition of the commemoration focuses on ‘Ensuring Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for Every Child in Africa.’
The CRF director emphasized that safe water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental rights critical to child survival, nutrition, education, and dignity. He noted that despite progress in the sector, millions of Nigerian children, particularly in rural communities, still lack access to basic WASH services. Findings from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2018) show about 73 percent of households had access to improved drinking water sources in 2018. By 2024, access to basic drinking water services stood at 70.5 percent nationally, but rural access remained significantly lower at 55.9 percent, leaving many children vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
Ideva stated that open defecation declined from about 25 percent of households in 2018 to 19.9 percent in 2024. However, rural communities continued to bear the greatest burden of poor sanitation and hygiene conditions. Lessons from CRF’s Global Fund-supported interventions under ACOMIN in Kudan and Igabi local government areas of Kaduna State highlighted persistent WASH challenges. Contaminated water sources, poor sanitation facilities, and weak maintenance systems were major concerns affecting communities.
While hygiene promotion and improved access to boreholes benefit residents, Ideva noted that sustainability remains threatened by inadequate maintenance financing. He commended the Kaduna State Government for its commitment to improving WASH services through budgetary allocations, noting that the state earmarked about N9.29 billion for WASH-related interventions in its 2026 budget. The allocation included N7 billion for water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes and N1.95 billion for the construction of water facilities. However, he stressed the need for stronger budget utilization, transparency, accountability, and equitable implementation.
Ideva urged governments, development partners, and stakeholders to prioritize underserved communities and strengthen maintenance systems. He also called for expanded school WASH services and wider adoption of Community-Led Total Sanitation approaches. “Every child deserves safe water, dignified sanitation, and a healthy environment to survive and thrive,” he said, adding that investment in WASH is an investment in child survival, education, nutrition, dignity, and Nigeria’s future human capital.