The 1st Africa Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) Regulators Conference kicked off today in Zanzibar, Tanzania, under the theme: ‘Changing the narrative of WSS regulation across Africa: Strengthen sector accountability’
Water and Sanitation sector regulatory activities typically cover setting service and quality standards, economic regulation and tariff setting, particularly where private sector participation in water supply management, monitoring and enforcing compliance, consumer protection, and assisting in implementing performance contracts.
With participants from water supply and sanitation regulatory bodies across Africa, including Nigeria, the meeting was convened to share knowledge, experiences and good practices, as well as map out actions towards strengthening WSS regulation on the African continent.
Organised by the Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation (ESAWAS) Regulators Association and hosted by Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA), the meeting is exploring the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Africa-wide WSS Regulators Association and WSS regulation training centre, borrowing from gains realised by ESAWAS members through regulatory cooperation.
Opening presentations today focused on the impact of strengthened sector accountability on service provision; enabling policy for regulation, improving utility performance across Africa; strengthening regulation across institutions.
Also, plenary discussions centred on improving the enabling environment for WSS Regulation: Formulating string policy and legal provisions; regulatory models and sector impact; types of regulation versus sector performance – Agency, Contract and Ministerial; defining autonomous regulation: Financial and decision-making independence, sector accountability and transparency tenets; regulating for design/provider, and fashioning regulation according to a type of regulated service providers and delivery.
The regulatory framework of Nigeria’s Water and Sanitation is still in its infancy with few states having a regulatory body. These include: Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission; Rivers State Water Services Regulatory Commission; and Ekiti State Water and Sanitation Regulatory Agency (EK-WASRA).
The Nigerian delegation to the Zanzibar meeting includes Engineer Danjuma Madaki, Director, Water Supply, Federal Ministry of Water Resources; Mrs Funke Adepoju, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission; and Engineer Ayodele Osalade, Secretary, Ekiti State Water and Sanitation Regulatory Agency (EK-WASRA).
About the Organisers
The Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation (ESAWAS) Regulators Association is a network of regional water supply and sanitation (WSS) regulators with the objectives of fostering and enhancing regional cooperation and coordination on regulatory issues to improve the effectiveness of WSS regulation in the region and enhancing the capacity of members in WSS regulation by facilitating information sharing and skills training.
By Babatope Babalobi with reports from Engr Ayodele Osalade, who is in Zanzibar, Tanzania
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