WASH Systems Learning Forum: Reflections from Sierra Leone and Nigeria’s Joint Sector Journey.
Introduction
The WASH Systems Learning Forum held in Abuja brought together partners from Sierra Leone and Nigeria working under the Strengthening WASH Systems for Health project, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). It was an important moment to take stock, exchange ideas, and strengthen the shared commitment to building resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene systems across both countries
The Cross-Country Learning Journey
The forum explored what drives real change in WASH systems, focusing on decentralised monitoring, stronger planning cycles, gender and social inclusion, and how to work effectively in low-income and fragile settings. Partners from both countries shared openly about the challenges they face—limited domestic financing, weak subnational capacity, political shifts, insecurity, and the struggle to maintain services once projects end.
The value of cross-country learning came through clearly. Sierra Leone’s work on in a fragile context, blighted by sector capacity, financing and coordination challenges and work already done by civil society in budget tracking and financial flow analysis generated strong interest, while Nigeria’s experience managing WASH programming in security-compromised states offered practical insights for partners dealing with difficult environments. UNICEF also enriched the discussions with its experience responding to fragile and emergency contexts, highlighting how flexible approaches, contingency planning, and stronger coordination can keep WASH services functioning even under stress. Together, these contributions helped both sides see the broader picture of what systems strengthening looks like in varied settings.
What the Forum Means for Project Partners
Across Sierra Leone and Nigeria, the forum reinforced the direction in which partners have been moving. It confirmed that sustainability will not be achieved through infrastructure alone, but through stronger institutions, better monitoring, clearer coordination, and active community ownership.
For Sierra Leone, the conversations aligned well with ongoing efforts led by GOAL, WASHNet, and BudgIT with the strong collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, and Ministry of Health. Strengthening MEAL systems, improving district planning, deepening citizen feedback approaches, and expanding climate-resilient rural water strategies were highlighted as areas where the country is already gaining ground. The budget transparency tools introduced by WASHNet continue to show their value in helping citizens and policymakers understand financial flows and hold duty-bearers accountable.
From Nigeria, Self-Help Africa’s practical experience in fragile and complex environments added depth to the dialogue, offering lessons on subnational leadership and embedding MEAL into routine government operations. UNICEF’s contributions complemented this by showing how emergency-focused systems can work hand in hand with long-term strengthening efforts, particularly in areas affected by conflict or displacement.
Moving Into Years Three and Four
As the project advances into its third and fourth years, the learning from Abuja will shape a more focused and collaborative path. Across both countries, the next phase will prioritise strengthening MEAL capacity at local government level, integrating budget tracking and accountability tools into state and district processes, and ensuring that gender and social inclusion are central to monitoring and planning. The work will also pay closer attention to climate resilience, political engagement, and long-term sector coordination.
Conclusion
The WASH Systems Learning Forum demonstrated that while Sierra Leone and Nigeria face different challenges, they share the same ambition: build systems that last. The energy and openness at the Abuja meeting showed the strength of this partnership and the potential for deeper collaboration. With renewed clarity and shared purpose, the project enters its next phase better positioned to support governments, empower communities, and strengthen WASH systems across both countries.
