Yesterday, November 20, was World Toilet Day. It is a day set aside by the United Nations to inform, engage and inspire people to take action toward achieving the goal of ending open defecation. The day also seeks to highlight the importance of toilet to health, hygiene and safety.
Open defecation is a huge social and health challenge. According to statistics, around 420 million people, which accounts for five percent of the global population, are still defecating in fields, forests, bodies of water or other open spaces. In Nigeria, nearly 48 million Nigerians still engage in open defecation.
The United Nations International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria has the highest rate of open defecation in the World! According to UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, Jane Bevan, the country has been among the top five countries engaging in open defecation in the world for the past 15 years, moving from 5th place in 2003 to second place in 2015 and now first place in 2023 with the eradication of open defecation in India in 2019.
Open defecation poses serious health, environmental and socio-economic risks. Open defecation can contaminate sources of drinking water and cause water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever. It can lead to the spread of bacterial and viral infections that can cause dysentery and diarrhea, which is the second largest killer of children below five years in Nigeria. Hookworm and roundworm can infect humans through contact with contaminated soil.
Open defecation also has environmental dimension. It can cause water pollution with contaminated rivers and lakes as well as groundwater, which will affect aquatic life and human health. Open defecation can lead to soil pollution. It can also bring about unpleasant odour in the environment.
Open defecation can expose women and girls to danger as they can be molested in bushes while defecating. Open defecation, without any privacy, can erode human dignity.
Concerned about the situation, the Federal Government on Wednesday, November 19, launched the revised Clean Nigeria Campaign (CNC) Strategic Plan, which seeks to eradicate open defecation by 2030. The CNC Strategic Plan is expected to mobilise efforts to declare all 774 local government areas in the country open defecation-free (ODF) by 2030.
While launching the the CNC, Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima said, “Access to safe and clean toilets is not just about infrastructure; it is about dignity, health, and safety for all Nigerians. We are committed to ensuring that no one falls behind in our journey to end open defecation, as evidenced by this strategic plan. We urge all levels of government and partners to work collaboratively for this goal.”
To eradicate open defecation, government at all levels will have to construct toilets and ensure they are safe and well-maintained. Where access to fixed toilet is limited, government, through public-private partnership, can deploy mobile toilets. Local authorities should upgrade existing pit latrines to make them more hygienic.
Public awareness campaigns can be organized to educate the citizenry about the risks associated with open defecation and the benefits of using toilet. Government should also educate the people on hygienic practices such as hand washing with soap. Sanitation and hygiene education should be integrated into the school curricula, to teach the children about the importance of proper sanitation.
To address the problem of open defecation, government can compel landlords to construct toilets in their property with accompanying fine for failure to comply. Through public-private partnership, funds can be leveraged to give subsidies to households and communities to construct toilets.
Nigeria's quest to end open defecation by 2030 may not be that easy. UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, Jane Bevan said "only 102 of the 774 local government areas representing 13% are certified Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the country, adding that 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has no ODF validated local government area". She equally warned that Nigeria might miss the target of 2030.
Ending open defecation by 2030 is an Herculean task but it is achievable, especially if the political will to do so is there and funds are committed to the project. The task ahead is an urgent call for collective action from policymakers, stakeholders, civil society groups and individuals to scale up proven strategies to reach the country’s goals.
