The Federal Government on Thursday announced that Jigawa State had been validated as the first open defecation-free state in Nigeria.
Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, made the announcement at a world press conference on the forthcoming World Toilet Conference which will hold in Nigeria next month.
He said, “As of today we have 85 Local Government Areas certified open defecation-free. It might interest you to note that Jigawa State has blazed the trail as the first state to become open defecation-free.
“They deserve commendation for their dedication to the work of becoming open defecation free.”
Adamu said the national campaign to end open defecation was approved by Federal Executive Council on May 8, 2019, with the aim of mobilising all strata of the society in fighting the menace.
“About 48 million people were said to be defecating in the open, according to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Routine Mapping Survey. The national campaign proper was flagged off on November 18, 2019 by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,” he stated.
The minister added, “This was closely followed by the promulgation of an Executive Order 009 by the President on November 20, 2019. I affirm here that Nigeria is committed to ending open defecation and it is noteworthy that in 2017 we had only one Local Government Area that was open defecation free.”
On the summit, Adamu said the global event would provide an excellent opportunity to bring greater visibility to the issue of ending open defecation in Nigeria.
He said it would enhance Nigeria’s capability to be better equipped towards meeting the target of ending open defecation by 2025.
“It is going to be a unique opportunity for Nigeria to accelerate progress through sincere collaboration with the WTO to address the sanitation challenges in the country and erase the ignoble global impression and abysmal sanitation records,” Adamu stated.
He said the selection of Nigeria to host the summit was facilitated by the private sector and Nigeria’s stride towards eliminating open defecation practices through the implementation of a National Roadmap for Elimination of Open Defecation in Nigeria by 2025, tagged, “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign.
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