Stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector have called on the media to strengthen its role in advocacy and government accountability, particularly in monitoring the implementation of environmental budget allocations.

This call was made at the close of a two-day workshop on transparency, accountability, and inclusive participatory budgeting, held in Ikeja for key Lagos State actors in the WASH sector.

The workshop, convened by WaterAid Nigeria, emphasized the critical need for increased public investment in WASH to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 and to eradicate open defecation in Lagos by 2030.

Speaking on behalf of the convener, Mr. Bamikole Adegbite, WASH Manager at WaterAid Nigeria, highlighted the urgency for the Lagos State Government to prioritize and increase budgetary allocations for WASH initiatives in the 2026 fiscal year.

He urged budget officers across all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to actively track WASH-related expenditures and ensure that funds are used judiciously to prevent disease outbreaks and promote a cleaner, healthier Lagos.

“Ending open defecation by 2030 demands a collaborative effort from all stakeholders — including traditional rulers, community leaders, parents, students, and traders — alongside strong political will and increased government funding,” Adegbite stated.

Facilitator of the workshop, Mr. Ayo Adebusoye, Chairman of Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP), provided practical training on budget analysis and implementation. He encouraged participants to use everyday family budgeting as a framework for understanding public finance and to push for transparency and inclusiveness in government spending.

Adebusoye also challenged MDAs to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to advocate for better funding and timely release of resources for WASH activities, especially in peri-urban and rural communities across the state.

Participants, drawn from the Lagos State Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Rural Development, Budget and Economic Planning, as well as representatives from LAWMA, LASEPA, the Water Corporation, and the media, commended WaterAid Nigeria for organizing the capacity-building event.

They described the workshop as a valuable opportunity to learn, unlearn, and re-learn essential tools for driving accountability and becoming effective change agents in the WASH sector.