Nigeria Learning Forum 2025: from projects to systems in water, sanitation and hygiene

Across plenary discussions and breakout sessions, participants repeatedly returned to the same question: how do we build monitoring systems that enable action, accountability and sustained change across the WASH sector? In response, attention turned towards decentralising Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning processes to monitor systems change and strengthening the cycle of WASH planning through efficient monitoring, evaluation and learning processes at the subnational level.

For starters, Aisha Suleiman, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager at Self Help Africa Nigeria delivered a presentation that highlighted what a true and fully decentralised Monitoring. Evaluation, Accountability and Learning system should look like in practice. With this system,

• a community raises an alert and the local government areas respond within days;
• repairs are logged digitally and the dashboard updates instantly;
• the state uses this data for budgeting, and the national office uses it for policy;
• communities receive feedback, trust increases, and sustainability improves.

However, this kind of system can only be achieved when local government areas and subnational actors are empowered as decision makers, and not simply data collectors for national dashboards. Contributions from the room pushed back against the reflex to generate even more indicators, calling instead for a deeper analysis of existing data to identify service gaps, slippage risks, and value-for-money failures. Similarly, discussions on planning underscored the need for evidence to directly inform investment decisions and coordination across institutions.

A few concrete priorities emerged across the board.

• Local government areas and other subnational actors must be equipped to use monitoring systems effectively, through access to WASH management information systems, reliable power solutions, and connectivity. 
• The focus on data collection must shift to data use, prioritising deeper analysis of existing data to identify and address existing gaps.
• A nationally aligned set of WASH system KPIs should be agreed upon to enable consistent reporting and comparability across all levels of government.
• Community-based monitoring should be embedded into routine accountability mechanisms, ensuring citizen feedback informs decision making.
• Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning outputs need to be integrated into annual WASH planning and budgeting cycles, so that evidence directly shapes investment decisions at subnational levels.
• Financial transparency can be strengthened through budget and expenditure tracking, linking financial flows to service delivery and performance outcomes.
• Investment in subnational leadership and institutional continuity is needed to reduce disruption from political transitions and sustain WASH reforms over time.
• Launching state WASH Performance Scorecards could stimulate competition and accountability across the country.

It was established overall that poor quality data as well as the perceived risk of producing ‘fantasy data’ in low-capacity settings could be even more harmful than no data at all. 

Levers of change for sustainable rural water supply

If the first day set the political and conceptual tone, the second day went deep into practices, starting with a technical keynote on “Levers of Change for Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Water Supply” followed by a rich panel discussion.

The keynote from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation reminded everyone why rural water still matters so much:

• Nearly 2 billion people globally still lack safely managed drinking water; most live in rural areas.
• Nigeria’s population has grown dramatically while land mass and water resources remain fixed, putting huge pressure on existing systems.
• Past decades saw big investments in rural infrastructure, but up to 60% of those investments were effectively lost within the first few years because systems fail and are not maintained.

From that diagnosis, the speaker walked through a set of levers of change that must be pulled together if rural systems are to last:

Community ownership and local governance

• Infrastructure lasts when people feel it’s theirs and this happens when they are involved in planning, construction, monitoring and maintenance, and they contribute (financially or in kind) to its upkeep.
• Local water committees must include women and youth and have real decision-making power.

Strong policies, laws and institutions

• Nigeria has sound frameworks; National Water Resources Policy, Master Plans, National Action Plan for the Revitalisation of the WASH Sector, but they must be regularly updated and crucially implemented.
• Institutions need capacity not just to build infrastructure, but to regulate, monitor and support service providers over time.

Innovative and blended financing

• Sustainability does not mean shifting the entire burden to poor communities.
• Blended models, public budgets, development partners, private sector, and community contributions, create shared commitment and reduce the risk that systems collapse when one funding stream dries up.

Appropriate technology and local skills

• Rural systems often fail not because the idea is wrong, but because the technology is too complex for local operation and repair.
• Designing for context (e.g., gravity schemes, robust hand-pumps, solar systems) and training local technicians is central to sustainability.

Data and continuous monitoring

• Reliable data on functionality, water quality and user satisfaction is the backbone of good decision-making.
• Digital tools, community scorecards and routine monitoring are needed to make invisible failures visible.

Political commitment

• Declarations like Nigeria’s 2018 State of Emergency on WASH and programmes such as SURWASH and PEWASH matter because they anchor rural water in high-level priorities and budgets.
• But commitment must show up in consistent financing for local government areas, enforcement of policies (e.g., community co-financing) and accountability for results.

The panel that followed with voices from SURWASH, UNICEF, Self Help Africa and others brought these levers to life. Some of the most resonant points included:

• Institutional capacity is the first lever to pull. States may have policies on paper, but if institutions are set up to “build boreholes” rather than “provide services”, failure is almost guaranteed.
• Climate risk analysis must be routine, not an add-on. Before designing any water scheme, agencies need to ask: is this area flood-prone, drought-prone, or exposed to high winds? That will determine whether you raise the platform, drill deeper, brace the tank, or change the technology.
• Climate-proofing saves money in the long run. Designing for future conditions may marginally increase upfront costs, but it avoids the much higher cost of abandoned systems and repeated reconstruction.
• Ownership is not just a slogan. Policies requiring community contributions and women’s participation exist, but they are often ignored. Where they are applied, communities treat schemes like they treat their own homes: they protect, maintain and invest in them.

A different kind of sector conversation

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Beyond the technical content, what stood out at the Nigeria Learning Forum was the tone: