It is regrettable that the number of Nigerians without access to toilets is reportedly rising. The rate of open defecation in Nigeria is put at 23 per cent. Available statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) show that over 47 million Nigerians still practise open defecation. Unfortunately, measures put in place to check the ugly development have not yielded the desired result. 

 In fact, UNICEF admitted that there has been limited progress over the last two years to address the menace. Only 75 per cent of Nigerians have access to basic drinking water services, up from 70 per cent in 2019, while access to toilet and hand washing facilities has increased from 44 per cent to 46 per cent since 2019.

The states with the highest number of open defecation, according to UNICEF, include Kwara, Plateau and Ebonyi, while those with the lowest number are Abia, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom. About 71 out of 774 local government areas have been declared open defecation-free. Katsina, Jigawa and Benue are reportedly the states with the highest number of open defecation free local government areas, with 21, 18 and nine, respectively.

UNICEF has also supported state governments in the North East to construct and rehabilitate 4,752 and 2,976 toilets respectively across Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and communities in the war-torn region. This is perhaps why the Federal Government is planning to invest about N1.9trillion to address water, sanitation and hygiene problems.

The government also targets to end open defecation in the country by 2025. Although it is desirable to end open defecation in Nigeria, the deadline may not be feasible. Moreover, we hardly meet any regional or global targets on national issues. It is commendable that UNICEF has assisted Nigeria to eradicate open defecation by increasing access to potable water and toilets.

At this year’s World Toilet Day, the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, stated that the government and other stakeholders should do more to ensure that all Nigerians have access to safe toilets and ensure that we shift closer to ending open defecation across the country.

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We decry the increasing rate of open defecation in the country and commend government’s effort to eradicate the menace by 2025. We also commend other stakeholders for assisting the government to realise this objective. We urge the government to increase access to toilets and water to many Nigerians that need them.

There is no way we can attain good health without provision of adequate toilets and enough potable water for every Nigerian. Open defecation in cities like Lagos and others is a sad reminder of our level of development. Therefore, all tiers of government should work together to eradicate open defecation in the country. Eradicating open defecation will drastically reduce the nation’s increasing disease burden.

There is need to build toilets in public places, markets, parks, recreation centres and others. President Muhammadu Buhari should declare a state of emergency in the water sanitation and hygiene sector. Government should launch a national campaign against open defecation.  Let there be laws against open defecation. Government should not relent in its resolve to end open defecation. We also call on civil society organisations, corporate bodies and communities to lend their support to the campaign.  The money for the project must be judiciously utilised.

On the economic front, a recent World Bank report indicates that Nigeria loses N455billion or $3billion annually due to poor sanitation. This approximates to $20 per capita/year and constitutes 1.3 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. The same report also says that open defecation alone costs Nigeria over $1billion a year.

All states should enact laws against open defecation. However, before the laws are enacted, let government provide enough toilets for the citizens. Doing so will go a long way to guarantee public health. Above all, the government must ensure that all public and private buildings have specified number of toilets as well as access to potable water.