What's Next: Seven Priorities Shaping SURWASH in the Coming Quarters
From civil works expansion to policy reform, the SURWASH Programme has a clear forward agenda. Here is what stakeholders should expect in the months ahead.
The SURWASH Programme enters the next phase of its work from a position of demonstrated progress. Plateau State has hosted a World Bank Global Director and delivered verified infrastructure results. New states are onboarded and mobilising. The maiden edition of this newsletter is itself an accountability milestone — evidence that the programme is investing in its own transparency.
But the programme's leadership is focused forward. Seven key priorities will shape SURWASH's work in the coming quarters.
1. Expansion of Civil Works
States including Ekiti are planning additional civil works to enhance programme impact and facilitate the next round of fund disbursement under the PforR mechanism. Expanded construction activity signals growing state confidence and a pipeline of new infrastructure for communities that have waited long enough.
2. Strengthening WASH Data Systems
The WASH MAP training programme will continue to roll out, with a particular focus on Kaduna State — equipping stakeholders across all Local Government Areas with skills to install, manage, and analyse WASH data.
3. Stakeholder Engagement
Ongoing stakeholder meetings will ensure that service delivery remains aligned with community needs and that communities retain meaningful ownership of the WASH facilities built in their areas. Ownership is the mechanism through which infrastructure is maintained.
4. Capacity Building
Continued training sessions are planned for water facility maintenance teams, WASH committees, and other relevant stakeholders. Infrastructure without institutional capacity degrades. SURWASH is building both simultaneously.
5. Project Milestones and Inaugurations
The coming months will see the commissioning of completed projects, the launch of new ones, and announcements of additional funding opportunities — the public accountability moments that connect programme investment to community outcomes.
6. Evaluation of Additional States
The Federal Programme Implementation Unit (FPCU) will continue evaluating the readiness of Technical Assistance-supported states and other interested states for potential inclusion. States must demonstrate institutional readiness to participate in a performance-based system.
7. Policy and Institutional Reform
Further development of water policies, service delivery models, and tariff structures designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of WASH services. Infrastructure without policy reform is a temporary fix. Sustainable access to water requires a regulatory environment that outlasts any single investment cycle.
The Momentum Is Real
The Global Director's visit to Plateau State was a strong external validation of the progress SURWASH has made. But the programme's leadership is not resting on that validation. The focus ahead is on delivering sustainable, inclusive, and impactful WASH services at scale — in every participating state, in every community that has been promised access, and in every school and health facility that children and patients depend on.
The work continues.