By Aisha Gambo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The lack of proper Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in Nigerian schools continues to hinder students’ education, especially for girls.

Many students are forced to endure unsanitary conditions, leading to health risks, absenteeism, and disruptions in their learning.

Bilkisu Yahaya, a Senior Secondary 3 (SS3) student at Government Secondary School, Rigasa, in Igabi Local Government Area, struggles to relieve herself while in school.

The toilets remain locked due to a lack of water.

“We have toilets, but we don’t use them because there is no water to clean them. The solar-powered borehole we had is damaged.

“When I need to use the toilet, I either wait until I get home or go behind the classroom,” she explained.

Like Yahaya, many girls in her school face the same challenge following the breakdown of the borehole.

A visit by a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent to Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) Maimuna Gwarzo in Unguwar Sunusi, Kaduna South Local Government Area, revealed a similar situation.

The toilets were also locked, in spite being constructed by the state government in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.

The initiative was designed to provide safe and hygienic spaces for schoolgirls.

Hussaina Abudulkadir, a Junior Secondary 3 (JS3) student, revealed that she and her friends had resorted to open defecation due to the toilet closures.

“We have to buy sachet water or bring water from home to drink and clean ourselves,” she said.

The lack of functional WASH facilities in schools poses a serious threat to girls’ education in Nigeria.

Poor sanitation contributes to absenteeism, for menstruating girls, who struggle to attend classes without proper hygiene facilities.

According to the Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), children under 18 are the most deprived of WASH facilities, with about 70 per cent lacking access to clean water and sanitation.

A UNICEF Nigeria report from 2021 revealed that only 37 per cent of schools had basic water supply services, while 35 per cent had basic sanitation services.

Additionally, just 30 per cent of schools had basic hygiene services, and only 11 per cent provided gender-sensitive WASH facilities.

The lack of these facilities disproportionately affects female students, especially during menstruation, leading to increased absenteeism.

The situation is worse in rural areas, where only 31 per cent of schools have access to basic water services, compared to 49 per cent in urban areas.

Similarly, sanitation access is lower in rural schools, with just 23 per cent having functional facilities, whereas urban schools fare slightly better at 44 per cent.

A report by WASH Nigeria highlights how poor WASH facilities contribute to increased school absenteeism and the spread of waterborne diseases, negatively impacting students’ health and academic performance.

Analysts say addressing this crisis requires government intervention, community involvement, and civil society engagement to ensure not just the provision but also the sustainable maintenance of WASH infrastructure in schools.

They opined that a proper WASH system in schools should include an improved water source with a reliable supply, separate, functional sanitation facilities for boys and girls, and handwashing stations with soap and water.

Although the Kaduna State Government, through the World Bank-funded AGILE Project, provided 2,629 WASH facilities in schools in 2022, many institutions struggle to maintain them.

A teacher at GGSS Maimuna Gwarzo, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that students are sometimes forced to fetch water from nearby staff quarters as a form of punishment.

“It has been over three months since the borehole broke down, so the toilets remain closed to prevent further damage, as they cannot be used without water,” she said.

In response to the situation, the Deputy Director of the Kaduna State Ministry of Health explained that the government has tasked School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) with maintaining school facilities, particularly WASH infrastructure.

“SBMC members are residents of the communities where the schools are located, and they are responsible for ensuring the facilities are maintained,” she stated.

Malam Auwal Abubakar, Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Rigasa, confirmed that their solar-powered borehole failed a few months after installation in 2022.

“We contacted an engineer, who estimated the repair cost at ₦600,000, but our efforts, along with the SBMC, to raise the amount were unsuccessful,” he said.

“I wrote to AGILE about the issue and also spoke to the media. Eventually, AGILE sent a team of engineers who repaired the borehole a few weeks ago.

“Now, we have water, and the toilets are open for the girls to use,” he added.

Unfortunately, this is not the case at GGSS Maimuna Gwarzo, where the borehole remains faulty.

The school’s principal, Aisha Jummai, said she engaged the SBMC to find a solution, but the engine failure prevented water from being pumped.

“Parents have been reluctant to contribute to repairs because it is a public school offering free education,” she noted.

On the way forward, Dr Peter Adamu, a lecturer in the Department of Economics at Kaduna State University, has urged the government, communities, and civil society organisations to adopt a culture of maintenance.

“The government must develop a structured plan for school facility maintenance, including allocating funds for WASH and other essential infrastructure,” he said.

Adamu, who is also a member of the Civil Society on Open Budget and Open Contracting in Kaduna State, recommended hiring dedicated cleaners to maintain the toilets instead of assigning students, which disrupts their learning.

“Parents and community members must collaborate with school authorities to ensure facilities are properly maintained,” he added.

He also stressed that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have a role to play in reporting such issues to the government for swift intervention.

All in all, Stakeholders insist that the persistent neglect of WASH facilities in schools continue to disrupt girls’ education in Kaduna state.

While projects like AGILE have greatly improved access to WASH facilities, stakeholders say poor maintenance and limited community involvement remain key challenges.

To address this, they opined that the state government must integrate WASH facility maintenance into its Education Sector Plan (ESP).

This will ensure effective management and gender-responsive policies that prioritise girls’ needs.

Furthermore, it is believed that local communities and civil society organisations would play their part in providing essential sanitation facilities while ensuring a sustainable maintenance strategy. (NANFeatures)