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Minister inaugurates service charter to deliver quality, affordable housing

Minister inaugurates service charter to deliver quality, affordable housing

263 total views today

By Angela Atabo

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has inaugurated a Service Charter in its commitment to deliver quality and affordable housing to Nigerians.

The charter was inaugurated by Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa on Wednesday in Abuja.

Dangiwa said that it was a bold statement of the ministry’s collective commitment to excellence, transparency, responsiveness and accountability in the discharge of duties to Nigerians.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the document outlines the ministry’s vision, mission, and deliverables in providing quality and affordable housing, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.

“As we all know, the civil service is the engine that drives the machinery of government headed by our Permanent Secretary.

“No matter how bold or visionary a government’s policies and programmes may be, their success or failure ultimately rests on the shoulders of the civil servants who are tasked with the implementation.

“When the civil service is competent, efficient and forward-thinking it becomes an invaluable asset, guiding political leaders and ensuring the continuity and success of government’s policies.

“A weak, unmotivated and inefficient civil service becomes a drag on progress, frustrating implementation and slowing down reforms and undermining the best intentions of the government,” he said.

Dangiwa said that the service charter outlined the standards of service that every department, unit and staff of the ministry should uphold.

According to him, it also gives citizens a clear picture of what they should expect from the ministry and how to hold it accountable to those expectations.

He urged members of staff to recommit themselves to giving their best in service and upholding the values of discipline, diligence and patriotism that define the Nigerian civil service.

The minister encouraged them to become enablers of change and not obstacles to progress.

“Let us embrace this charter, not just as a document, but as a culture.

“Let it guide our daily operations, shape our interactions with citizens and shareholders and inspire us to build a ministry that we can all be proud of,” he said

The minister said that the ministry would dedicate a special day during the SERVICOM week to recognise outstanding staff, customers, contractors, and consultants of the ministry.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuiab Belgore, said that the ministry was working to change the narrative of the housing sector.

Belgore said that to make this happen, the ministry innovated some reforms to drive internal productivity, and created a reward system for best staff of the month and the overall best for the year.

“That way, the members of staff will give their best in effective service delivery to the nation.

“I guarantee to Nigerians that the service we will provide will be exemplary,”he said

Also speaking, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, SERVICOM, presiding office, said that the inauguration of the service charter marked a significant step toward service improvement in the ministry.

Akajemeli said that its implementation would determine how well the ministry is positioned to really improve on the services provided to stakeholders.

She said that SERVICOM was an initiative of the Federal Government conceived to promote effective and efficient service delivery in the civil service.

“The concept was initiated by the government to ensure customer satisfaction and manage the performance and expectation gap between government and citizens.

“A service charter, therefore, is a document that describes the service experience that can be expected from the ministry to coordinate all matters concerning lands, housing and urban development,” she said.

Akajemeli,further described the service charter as an operational and performance enhancement tool that enshrined the trust between service providers and service takers containing realistic and measurable standards in specific key services of the ministry. (NAN)

Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Kadiri Abdulrahman

FG constructs 12 reference labs to monitor water quality

FG constructs 12 reference labs to monitor water quality

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By Tosin Kolade

The Federal Government has established 12 water quality reference laboratories across Nigeria as part of efforts to improve water quality monitoring and surveillance.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, announced this at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Annual Water Quality Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Utsev, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, said the laboratories were established under the National Water Quality Reference Laboratories and Monitoring Network Programme.

He also noted the introduction of the Freshwater Restoration and Source Water Protection Programme, aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s water sources, including rivers, lakes and artificial reservoirs.

Utsev said access to safe water is a priority under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the government committed to tackling sector challenges through partnerships and innovation.

He added that quality plays a vital role in public health, socio-economic development and environmental sustainability.

He recalled that “according to the 2021 Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene National Outcomes Routine Monitoring (WASHNORM) Report, 67 per cent of Nigeria’s population has access to basic water supply services.

“However, a significant proportion still lacks access to safely managed drinking water, with 25 per cent of the population relying on unimproved or surface water sources, which pose a high risk of waterborne diseases.”

He acknowledged that poor sanitation remains a major concern, as open defecation and indiscriminate waste disposal continue to contaminate water sources.

The minister stated that the ministry is leveraging modern technologies and collaborating with both local and international partners to enhance water quality management.

He reaffirmed government’s commitment to eradicating open defecation and ensuring improved water and sanitation standards across the country.

“To further enhance water quality assurance, the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality, the Nigerian Standards for Ambient Water Quality, and the soon-to-be-finalised Nigerian Standard for Irrigation Water Quality have been established.

“Additionally, the Community Water Safety Plan has been introduced to empower rural communities with the knowledge and tools needed to prevent water contamination.

“The ministry has also commenced the production of hydrogen sulphide vials for microbial water quality assessment, which is currently being tested in UNICEF-supported states”, he said.

Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, reaffirmed government’s commitment to providing safe drinking water for all Nigerians, promoting public health and economic productivity.

She emphasised that ensuring water safety is a public health, economic and environmental priority.

“We all know that contaminated water is a major cause of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea, which hinders socio-economic development.

“It is our collective responsibility to develop and implement robust policies, institutional frameworks and innovative solutions to improve water safety nationwide,” she said.

UNICEF WASH Manager, Mr Chiranjibi Tiwari, warned that two-thirds of Nigeria’s water sourcesare contaminated with E. coli and Salmonella, causing severe waterborne diseases like cholera.

He cited a 2021 WASHNORM data, reporting 111,000 cholera cases and 3,600 deaths, with outbreaks persisting, including in Lagos, a traditionally low-risk area.

He warned that contaminated water threatens public health, education and productivity, stressing the need for urgent, coordinated action to achieve SDG 6 on Universal Clean Water Access.

He also linked safe water access to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, warning that failure to act would hinder national progress.

Tiwari called for stronger collaboration among development partners, NGOs, civil society, academia, media and the private sector.

He urged stakeholders to form structured partnerships, particularly with the private sector, to develop household water treatment technologies and public awareness campaigns to promote safer water practices.

The UNESCO representative, Dr Enang Moma, warned that water pollution could pose serious risks to health, food production, ecosystems and economic growth.

She highlighted the impact of untreated wastewater, industrial chemicals and emerging pollutants, exacerbated by climate change.

Without improved water monitoring, she cautioned, 4.8 billion people could face health risks by 2030, stressing the urgency of pollution control and better wastewater treatment to prevent diseases like cholera and schistosomiasis.

She reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through its Intergovernmental Hydrology Programme (IHP) and technical expertise.

Representatives of WaterAid, Water Correspondents Association of Nigeria, ministries of health and environment, and other partners delivered goodwill messages. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)


Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

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