This series of three blogs is based on discussions about market shaping held at a regional sanitation industry consultation in Abuja, Nigeria, convened by UNICEF’s West and Central Africa Regional Office. This first blog outlines how UNICEF and partners are rising to the challenge, recognising the need to expand market-based approaches to sanitation to fulfill the SDG ambition to improve the quality and sustainability of services. It then reflects on a sanitation market assessment in Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire which was validated at the industry consultation where a set of opportunities for strengthening sanitation market systems were developed. Read blog