The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised serious concerns regarding Nigeria’s progress in ending open defecation, stating that the country may not achieve its target of eliminating this practice by 2025.
Despite being among the top five countries globally with the highest number of open defecators for the past 15 years, Nigeria now holds the unenviable position of having the highest number worldwide, surpassing even India, which has successfully eradicated open defecation.
According to UNICEF, a staggering 48 million Nigerians, including 18 million children, still practice open defecation, highlighting the urgent need for accelerated action. To address this issue, UNICEF is calling upon the government and other relevant stakeholders to intensify community-led total sanitation (CLTS) programs, focusing on demand creation, mass mobilization, awareness campaigns, and advocacy.
Additionally, engaging the private sector to contribute to toilet construction, providing financial support to disadvantaged households, and assisting low-income toilet business owners (TBOs) are vital steps toward achieving the desired outcome.
During a media dialogue on open defecation yesterday in Bui, Borno State, UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, Ogochukwu Adimorah, expressed concern, emphasizing that Nigeria must strengthen and scale up proven strategies to meet its goals… “Nigeria cannot continue business as usual or it will miss the target of 2025 and 2030! There is need to strengthen and scale up strategies to reach the goals. We are not on track to end open defecation by 2025 or 2030 at the current rate.”
Adimorah highlighted various challenges, including inadequate financing, lack of commitment and investment in sanitation, limited private sector involvement, low awareness of the health and business benefits of sanitation, population growth, climate change, growing insecurity, and the need for improved coordination and collaboration with other sectors.
Engr. Babagana Sa’ad, the Acting General Manager of Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), highlighted key factors in the attainment of an open defecation-free status of Bui and Shani LGAs… “These include joint funding between the government and UNICEF/donors, supportive policies at the state and local government levels, and the significant role played by traditional leaders in motivating communities to take ownership of provided water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.”