By Kelvin Obambon
The Cross River State Government, with support from Self Help Africa under the WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has officially launched the Cross River State Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy, aimed at
strengthening improved WASH governance and service delivery, and advance public health outcomes across the state.
The launch which took place in Calabar on Friday, reflects the state’s commitment to improving WASH services. Additionally, the policy promotes accountability and transparency in WASH service delivery, addresses the performance of state-owned service providers, internalises national and international policies, principles, and approaches, and presents a framework for legislative reform.
Commissioner for Water Resources, Bassey Mensah, said the launch of the policy celebrates the shared vision, collective effort, and renewed commitment to improving the quality of life and health outcomes of Cross Riverians.
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He said the journey culminating in the launch of the policy was both inclusive and transformative, stating that “Over the past year, stakeholders from across government institutions, the State Legislature, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector worked tirelessly to review and reposition our WASH Policy.”
“May I express our deep appreciation to Self Help Africa for its invaluable technical and financial support through the WASH Systems for Health Programme. Their collaboration with the Cross River State Government strengthened the review process and ensured that the policy was formulated in line with global best practices while remaining locally relevant,” the Commissioner stated.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Cross River State Ministry of Water Resources, Okon Ita, reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening the WASH sector, stating, “The state government is committed to having an organised WASH sector.
The launch is a deliberate attempt by the state to formulate ideas, principles, plans, guidelines, rules, procedures, standards, and practices for the implementation of water governance in
the state.”
In her remark, the Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, further stressed the need for inclusive governance and multi-sectoral collaboration to drive sustainable improvements in the WASH sector, noting that “Good WASH governance involves making the right decisions and implementing them effectively by leveraging partnerships for
sustainable change within the sector.
Self Help Africa, through its WS4H programme, offered significant support to the review and development of the Cross River State WASH policy.
The programme attained notable milestones, particularly around supporting the review process of the Cross River State WASH policy, from joint, stakeholder review to validation and approval by the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Bassey Otu; rallying around the State Task Group (STG) on WASH to facilitate the signing of the Water Bill into Water Law in 2025; assisting programme implementation in Obubra LGA, funded by the Cross State
government through its counterpart fund release to scale up the WS4H programme; and the rehabilitation and upgrades of 35 water facilities in 28 selected communities across 14 council wards in Yala LGA.
This launch event also serves as a platform for stakeholders to formally unveil the policy, reaffirm collective ownership, and strengthen commitment towards its effective implementation, ensuring improved access to safe WASH services for the people of Cross
River State.
The Cross River WASH policy is an inclusive framework that showcases how the public sector and civil society can partner to create sustainable change. I commend the executive governor of Cross River and the State Task
Group (STG) on this feat.”
Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international development organisation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, dedicated to the vision of ‘Sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a
changing climate. SHA has been operating in Nigeria and Cross River State since 1999, serving as a critical partner to the development agenda of the state for over 25 years by providing support in the areas of WASH, agriculture and food systems, sustainable landscape and climate adaptation.
Projects currently being implemented alongside WS4H include the recently launched Optimising the Benefits of Inline Chlorination (OPTIC) and Dispensers for Sustainable Rural
Water in Nigeria (DiSuRWIN) projects, as well as Youth in Work – Strengthening Food Systems to Promote Increased Value Chain and Employment Opportunities for the Youth in Nigeria.
Self Help Africa’s WS4H is a 4-year programme focused on strengthening systems to establish reliable, resilient, and inclusive WASH services in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. In Nigeria, Self Help Africa implements the programme across Cross River and Kano States alongside other in-country technical partners such as NEWSAN, Toilet Pride Initiative and BudgIT. The programme is also supported by global technical partners, including the Sanitation Learning Hub, Bristol University, Social Finance and Population Services International.
