The Ekiti State Small Town, Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Agency (EK-STRUWASSA) has organised a one-day capacity-building training for its staff to strengthen ethics, professionalism and effective service delivery.
The General Manager of the agency, Mr Ayo Alegbeleye, said the training was part of efforts to improve institutional performance and equip staff with the skills required to address emerging challenges in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
Alegbeleye spoke in Ado-Ekiti during the training programme organised to enhance ethical conduct, improve behavioural orientation and boost productivity across all operational areas of the agency.
He said the Ekiti State Government would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving professionalism, efficiency and effective service delivery within the agency.
According to him, the programme was designed to address identified gaps in ethical conduct while fostering teamwork and promoting accountability among workers.
He noted that the initiative would position staff to deliver sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene services across the state.
The general manager urged participants to maximise the opportunity by paying close attention during the sessions and applying the knowledge gained in the discharge of their duties.
The training, which drew participants from various departments of the agency, focused on accountability, integrity, professionalism, equity, fairness and responsiveness.
A facilitator at the training, Mr Tunji Saliu, a retired staff member of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State, stressed the importance of ethics in sustaining water and sanitation facilities in rural communities.
Saliu said ethical service delivery was critical to ensuring the sustainability of sanitation infrastructure, noting that many water facilities fail due to poor community ownership and delayed response mechanisms.
He observed that some beneficiary communities still viewed such facilities as government property rather than shared assets requiring collective responsibility.
He advised the agency to continue involving beneficiary communities in decision-making processes through the established Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs).
According to him, unethical conduct in service delivery often results in waste of public funds, reduced donor confidence and poor project sustainability.
He identified regular training, field monitoring, prompt repairs, community feedback mechanisms and digital complaint management systems as strategies for strengthening ethical conduct and improving service delivery.
Saliu encouraged staff members to build a culture of honesty, diligence and fairness, adding that such values would enable the agency to become a model for rural water and sanitation service delivery in Nigeria.
He said the seminar should mark the beginning of a renewed commitment to service with integrity.
In his vote of thanks, the Head of Small Town Unit, Engr. Olajide Olatiilu, commended participants for their commitment and active engagement during the training.
Olatiilu urged staff members to sustain the momentum by applying the knowledge gained to improve service delivery.
Participants also appreciated the state government and the agency’s management for organising the programme, describing it as timely, impactful and enlightening.Trains Staff on Ethics, Service Delivery.