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The Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), says it has disbursed N100 million in loans to fast-track construction of improved latrines in rural settlements.
The General Manager of the agency, Adamu Sabo said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.
He said the facility was disbursed to the benefiting communities under the Toilet Business Owners’ (TBOs) soft loan scheme, in partnership with three microfinance banks including Rahama Women and Youth Development Initiative.
Sabo said the revolving fund was designed to support TBOs to sustain and expand their businesses towards enhancing access to latrines and curbing open defecation.
The manager said that many communities had benefited from the one-year tenure facility since its inception in 2017, adding that the agency was also sensitising households to Village Savings and Loans (VSL) scheme.
“The VSL is for communities to support each other in the construction of latrines in their homes.
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“The TBOs operate across the state, they sell toilet equipment and construct latrines in communities, which makes the process cheaper and easier.
“It also made an impact because over 50,000 households have constructed toilets under the scheme,” he said.
According to Sabo, 12 out of the 20 local government areas of the state have been certified Open Defecation Free (ODF).
He listed the councils to include Alkaleri; Bauchi, Bogoro, Dass, Gamawa, Toro, Ningi, Katagum, Shira and Zaki.
The manager said the agency was also conducting sensitisation activities to promote sanitation and ODF best practices at village markets across the state.