By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State Government has officially launched a new Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Policy aimed at strengthening governance, improving service delivery and advancing public health outcomes across the state.
The policy, unveiled in Calabar on Friday, was developed with support from Self Help Africa under the WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The initiative reflects the state’s renewed commitment to improving WASH services and ensuring accountability and transparency in service delivery. It also addresses the performance of state-owned service providers, aligns with national and international policies and principles, and provides a framework for legislative reform in the sector.
Speaking at the launch, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Bassey Mensah, described the policy as a product of shared vision and collective effort.
“The launch of this policy celebrates our shared vision, collective effort, and renewed commitment to improving the quality of life and health outcomes of Cross Riverians,” Mensah said.
He explained that the review process, which lasted over a year, involved key stakeholders from government institutions, the State Legislature, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector.
“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,” he stated.
Mensah commended Self Help Africa for its technical and financial support.
“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 strengthened the review process and ensured that the policy was formulated in line with global best practices while remaining locally relevant,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Okon Ita, reiterated the state’s commitment to building a structured and effective WASH sector.
“The state government is committed to having an organised WASH sector,” Ita said.
He noted that the launch represents a deliberate effort to develop ideas, principles, guidelines, procedures, standards and practices for effective water governance across the state.
In her remarks, the Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, emphasised the importance of inclusive governance and collaboration in driving sustainable improvements.
“Good WASH governance involves making the right decisions and implementing them effectively by leveraging partnerships for sustainable change within the sector,” Aderele said.
She highlighted milestones achieved under the WS4H programme, including support for the policy review process from stakeholder consultations to validation and approval by the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Bassey Otu. The programme also rallied the State Task Group on WASH to facilitate the signing of the Water Bill into law in 2025.
Aderele further disclosed that the programme supported implementation in Obubra Local Government Area through counterpart funding from the state government and rehabilitated and upgraded 35 water facilities in 28 communities across 14 council wards in Yala Local Government Area.
“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 on this feat,” she said.
The launch provided a platform for stakeholders to formally unveil the policy, reaffirm collective ownership and strengthen commitment to its effective implementation, with the goal of expanding access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services for residents.
Self Help Africa, an international development organisation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, has operated in Nigeria and Cross River State since 1999. The organisation supports initiatives in WASH, agriculture and food systems, sustainable landscape management and climate adaptation.
The WS4H programme is a four-year initiative designed to strengthen systems for reliable, resilient and inclusive WASH services in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. In Nigeria, it is being implemented in Cross River and Kano States in partnership with organisations such as NEWSAN, Toilet Pride Initiative and BudgIT, alongside global technical partners including the Sanitation Learning Hub, Bristol University, Social Finance and Population Services International.
