48m Nigerians involved in open defecation despite 2025 deadline, FG laments

The Federal Government on Thursday said about 48 million Nigerians still engage in open defecation despite just a year left to the deadline to end the practice.

The Minister of State for Environment, Ishaq Salako who stated this at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committees on Environment, Water Resources, Works, Ecological Funds and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, noted that the number represents 23 per cent of Nigeria’s population.

Apart from this worrisome development, the Minister also stated that over 159 million Nigerians lack access to washing hands facilities, adding that the FG needs to build one million public toilets across the country’s six geo-political zones.

He called for the commemoration of the National Environmental Sanitation Day on June 28 every year to create adequate awareness of the significance of personal and environmental hygiene among Nigerians.

He said, “According to the road map, 43, 000 toilets are required across the country. But currently, the reality is that 48 million people are practicing open defecation nationwide thereby requiring a minimum of one million toilets across the country. As of today, 5,004 toilets have been constructed across the country in public places.

“When the President signed the order, it came with an approval of N63.6 billion to be spread over the six years when the programme to end open defecation would last but to date, what has been received is not up to an annual allocation.”

As part of efforts to address the problem, the Minister called for the mobilisation of sanitary health inspectors.

He also advised that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency be mobilised to carry out its role as provided in the law.

“I want to assure you that NESREA is the police of the environment and without the police, you cannot enforce. Without enforcing them, the laws are toothless. We need more empowerment for the police of the environment which is NESREA.

“I believe strongly that if we can do that, we can enforce to ensure that the state, local governments and average Nigerians fully comply with the laws and policies of the Federal Government guiding defecation,” he said.

According to him, the Ministry of Environment has a project for implementation in 2024 that will deal with the situation through a mechanism for reportable environmental incidents using digital platforms.

The Chief Sanitary Inspector, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria, Yakubu Baba, called for the establishment of a National Environmental Sanitation Development Agency that would coordinate sanitation at the national level, also as a part of measures to address the menace of open defecation.

In his address, the Speaker of the House, Abbas, Tajudeen, who was represented by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, said the growing incidence of open defecation in Nigeria is placing grave risks to the health of millions of Nigerians.

Also, the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Pondi Gbabojor, called on governments at all levels to take urgent actions to address the scourge of open defecation.