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For governments and people of the northern states, in particular to the north-west, the question of eradicating open defecation is a task that must be done while making fun of to end the threat, not thinking about obstacles; Sunny Idachaba writes.
It is common, especially in the main cities of the country, to see adults crouched in any open space to defecate each other, thus causing the danger to public health to residents.
For a long time, governments of all levels have committed themselves to ending this shameful practice of many Nigerians who abandon themselves to respond to this call of nature in which they would not have to. Despite enormous allocations of the budget and awareness campaigns to face the threat, the trend had continued.
Following the embarrassment deriving from this healthy practice, especially in urban locations, some states of the North-West have committed themselves to taking decisive actions against the challenge of public health that has continued to threaten life and dignity in the region.
Northwestern collaboration
During a two-day hygiene conference in Sokoto, representatives of Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina agreed to incorporate programs focused on the toilet-health services in their 2026 budget.
The meeting supported by UNICEF with his Water, Health and Hygiene (Wash) program highlighted the downsizing of the hygienic -health vouchers initiative, designed to help vulnerable families access hygiene structures.
The delegates, including the commissioners for the local government, the environment and the boss’s affairs, underlined that open defecation is not only a health problem but a development and embarrassing.
One of the representatives said: “Our 2026 budget plans would reflect this commitment. The end of the open defecation would require political will, property of the community and supported investments”.
For example, Zamfara State Commissioner for the local government and the affairs of Chieftancy, Eng. Ahmad Garba described open defecation as a main engine of preventable diseases such as cholera and dysentery while praising the hygienic voucher -healthy program to target families who cannot afford to build toilets.
Speaking, he also said: “Not all families can afford to build a bathroom. That’s why this voucher program is a powerful intervention. Zamfara is fully on board. We are committed to making our state open without defecations.”
Garba also underlined the cultural and religious imperative for cleaning, underlining that both Islam and Christianity support hygiene and condemn practices that damage the environment.
According to him, “this is both an obligation of health and moral”.
Facing the concerns relating to security that could hinder the launch of the program, he mentioned the state of Katsina as an example, stating that, despite the insecurity, 33 out of 34 LGA have already been declared open without defecations.
According to the report, the conference ended with a resolution for interstatal collaboration and strategies led by the community. The delegates have therefore expressed optimism that with political will, public commitment and continuous investments, the Region can achieve the goal of Nigeria to end open defecation within the year 2030 in line with the objectives of sustainable development (SDG).
Don’t go back to ODF
In what seemed a significant move last year, while commemorating the World Water Day of 2024, the vice -president, Kashim Shettimo, officially launched the strategic plan of the Nigeria (CNC) magazine campaign during which he again reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria towards the eradication of an open defecation from the year 2030.
At that event held at the presidential villa, high government officials, international organizations and community leaders underlined the urgent need for a safe and dignified hygienic -for all Nigerians, in particular with the hope of ending open defecation.
A declaration by the Unicef communication specialist, Susan Akila, states in part: “It is obvious that with almost 48 million Nigerians who still engage in an open defecation and a lower number of the population who had access to sanitization services managed safely, undoubtedly the strategic plan of the CNC-Mobilitare due to an ambitious objective. In the current rate of progress.”
The vice -president therefore strengthened the importance of the initiative while said: “Access to safe and clean toilets does not concern only the infrastructures; it is dignity, health and safety for all Nigerians. We are committed to ensuring that no one falls within our journey to end the open defecation, as highlighted by this strategic plan. We have urged all levels of government and partner to work in collaboration for this objective.
According to Shettimo, the hygienic sector -Sanitary has great economic growth opportunities.
He explained that aligning these opportunities with the renewed agenda of the hope of the administration can create jobs, provide alternative energy sources and produce biological fertilizers.
“It is in this context that the need to re-see the reset of the critical elements that would progressively increase our level of defense and awareness has become.
“Therefore, the governors undermine the necessary support to guide the campaign in the states and in the areas of the local government to achieve our goal of a Nigeria free from open defecation within the next five years.”
While warning against the dangers of open defecation, he said: “A critical public and environmental health issue that compromises our sources of water, spread diseases and negatively affects the quality of life, education and economic productivity of the population”.
He said that the inadequate hygienic structures to face open defecation represent a great risk, in particular for women, girls and vulnerable communities, ensuring that the administration is engaged in an attempt to put an end to open defecation in the country.
“The current administration is engaged in the request for an open defecation in Nigeria, as part of the measures to achieve the objective of sustainable development 6.2 targets aimed at helping to build a healthy and flourishing nation.
“We are all aware of the fact that the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and toilet -SANITARI have launched different initiatives to fill the existing gap of inadequate basic toilet services.”
For its part, the Minister of Resources and Hygienic Services -Sanitari, Joseph Utsev, said: “The toilet -Sanitari services are a milestone of health and public development. The launch of the strategic plan of the revised CNC marks a fundamental step to deal with the hygienic -sanitary challenges of Nigeria.
Analysts weigh
According to a public affairs analyst, Bala Sani, not long ago, the Kano State Rural Water Supply and Health Agency (Ruwasa) announced that 20 LGA were certified as free of open defecation, while more six expected certification.
Those areas of the Council were Gezawa; Kiru trano; Dawakin Kudu; Albasu; Shamano; Bagwai; Ungogo; Gaya Ajingi Gabasawa; Kura; Gari; Dawakin Tofa; Rimin Gado; Minjibir; Kumbotso Madobi; Karaye and Takai.
The remaining are waiting for certification, he added, they were Doguwa; Tudun Wada; Sumaila; Bebeji; Bunkure and Tofa. This is the reason why the initiative of those who north-western states is seen as the right step in the right direction.
Giving a break further, Bala said: “The federal government, with a frenetic move, said a state of emergency on open defecation and launched a campaign known as” clean of Nigeria: use the bathroom “under the vice -president office to prepare a roadmap to reach the ODF by 2025.
“Many states throughout the federation have been able to tell the campaign with some remarkable results for registration. They included Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, now has confused the main champions of the country. Jigawa had already distinguished himself as the first state to reach state level without open defecations, followed by the state of Katsina with 30 LGA.
“Kaduna was dragging 10 LGA before the state of Kano in his driving style of the unlined agenda Kaduna from the third position. While all the winning states have been able to do it in different stages, over the years, Kano State has quickly made its submission in a phase.”
The corroboration, the national coordinator for the secretariat of the Nigeria Pulita campaign, Mrs. Chizoba Opera, said: “This is the first time that a single state has presented such a large number of LGA for certification in ODF”.
Therefore, with that number, Kano State now occupies the third position after Jigawa and Katsina.
“There are 148 LGA certified in the country and it is interesting to note that 103 are in the North-West, while the remaining 48 spread in the six areas,” he said.
While the action meets the discussion on defecation opening issues, it would soon be uprooted, not outside the northern states, but some more remote areas with enormous populations to the south.
