Oyo State is one of the selected states by Federal Government for special intervention by UNICEF on programmes of Education, Health, Nutrition and Water Supply. The State was assigned to handle programme for water supply which was under UNICEF Assisted water and Sanitation (WATSAN) project has christened then.
The WATSAN Project commenced with the software components (Community Mobilization/Hygiene Education, Sanitation etc) in 1992, domiciled at the Ministry of Health and later moved to Governor’s office.
The Hardware Components are Geophysical Survey, Drilling Operation, Platform Construction, Pump Installation, Latrine Construction etc while the drilling operation commenced on 23rd February, 1993.
The study area then was Ibarapa and its environs to majorly eradicate the epidemic of Guineaworm in the entire communities and to ensure the provision of conducive\safe Environment for the populace.
There and then, the programme embarked on drilling of boreholes and constructions of Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (V.I.P)/Sanplat latrines across the communities to prevent wadding into stream water and outbreak of water borne and sanitation related diseases
The WATSAN project also had the support of JICA from Japan as a donor agent which steered the WATSAN project to be well recognized and able to cover large areas for the work in 2003, and was able to eradicate Guineaworm in State and reduced the likely outbreak of fecal and water related diseases in our rural communities
However, the WATSAN Project metamorphosed into Oyo state Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in May 2011, under the direct supervision of Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.