Water Supply and Sanitation Policy.

The Zamfara State Water Supply and Sanitation Policy (2014) addresses critical challenges related to access to safe water and adequate sanitation in Zamfara State. The policy aims to significantly increase access to potable water—from 48.7% to 90% by 2020 and achieve universal access by 2025—through an integrated approach that emphasizes sustainable water supply and sanitation services for urban, small towns, and rural communities. Key principles include water as a finite and social-economic good, participatory management, gender inclusion, institutional reforms, and community empowerment to ensure equitable and efficient water resource management.
The policy lays out clear guidelines for technology use and service levels tailored to community sizes. Sustainability hinges on community management and operation and maintenance responsibility, with urban and small-town water supply managed by government and rural systems maintained by communities supported by NGOs, local governments, and private sector participation. Financial mechanisms focus on cost-sharing among state, local governments, and communities, alongside efforts to encourage private sector involvement and establish effective tariff regimes that consider affordability and cost recovery. Institutional reforms are central to the policy’s implementation, with coordination led by the Ministry of Water Resources and multiple agencies responsible for specific functions across urban and rural water supply and sanitation. Sector reform goals include establishing regulatory frameworks, enhancing accountability and transparency, promoting gender and pro-poor inclusion, and improving data collection and monitoring. The policy also highlights the importance of health and hygiene promotion, sanitation improvements, and climate change considerations. The text consists of 14 Parts.