The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has partnered with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and UNICEF to conduct Water, Sanitation and Hygiene-National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH – NORM) Survey in Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by Yemi Kale, Statistician-General, NBS, the survey is aimed at ensuring the collection of the latest information on improved water access, the percentage of Nigerians who are involved in open defecation, and general sanitation practices.
“This survey will provide further context on previously published data on water access, sanitation, and open defecation. In 2013, the NDHS Report showed that 34 percent and 59.6 percent of Nigeria’s population had access to improved sanitation and improved water sources, respectively,” Kale said.
Kale, however, noted that about 28.7 percent of Nigerians still engage in open defecation which poses a significant risk to public health and wellbeing, hence the need to gain further insight into ways of addressing the menace by developing appropriate and better-informed solutions.
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“The WASH–NORM Survey is being conducted to provide quality data to the Nigerian Government to enable evidence-based decision making as well as the efficient application of resources towards the improvement of access to WASH Services in Nigeria”.
“The Survey will cover all the 36 States of the federation, including the FCT. Forty (40) enumeration areas will be selected for study in each of the States and FCT, except Lagos and Kano where 40 enumeration areas will be selected based on each of the senatorial zones,” he further explained.
“NBS enumerators will be in the field to collect data from respondents for three {3} Calendar Weeks, beginning from 24th November to 15th of December, 2019,” the NBS boss said.
