Investment
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, March 12, 2018 (NAN) A cross section of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) stakeholders on Monday advocated the involvement of individuals in the drive toward ending open defecation practice in the country.
They told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that it was saddening that the non-availability of toilets in public places was the reason for the continued practice of open defecation among Nigerians.
Mr Michael Eborh, an Environmental Health Officer, said factors such as the non-availability of toilets in rented houses were contributing to the practice.
He, therefore, stressed the need for house owners to construct standard toilets in their buildings.
“Open defecation is on the increase in major parts of the country; how do you explain the rationale behind a house owner building a house for 15 tenants, with only one functional toilet.
“So, what do you expect people to do when they need to answer the call of nature; they do it wherever they feel is conducive, not minding the implications.
“If the well-to-do private individuals can build toilets in strategic public places such as parks, markets and others, it would be used at a fee and properly maintained,’’ Eborh said.
Similarly, Mr Modekai Ifemide, a WASH Officer, said there was the need for all stakeholders to create awareness on the dangers of open defecation.
He appealed for deliberate collaboration among stakeholders to stop open defecation in the society.
The WASH officer urged policy makers to use the mass media as a tool for behaviour change, to enlighten the populace.
Ifemide acknowledged that Nigeria was making progress in some states on hygiene promotion and in the implementation of sanitation programmes.
He suggested that state governments should resolve to sanction erring citizens who defecate in the open.
He maintained that the practice of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was an opportunity for individuals to begin to take ownership of scaling up access to basic hygiene promotion practices.
He said the World Bank WASH Diagnostic Report, showed that Nigeria had made steady progress in the provision of safe water, but little progress was being recorded in sanitation and hygiene.
He urged on all tiers of government to take ownership of implementing programmes and policies on sanitation and hygiene, stressing that Nigeria should stop relying only on efforts of development partners alone.
Mr Emmanuel Awe, Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said Nigeria was making progress in scaling up sanitation with the attainment of Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status Local Governments in Obalinku and Dass.
He said Nigeria ought to take a cue from India which was able to stop 10 million persons practicing open defecation to living in ODF environment through CLTS practices.
Awe said although the time was short, Nigeria could still make more progress with strengthened commitment to eradicate open defecation.
“If all the states are involved in this, we are very sure that we will make it. In India, within three years, about 10 million people moved from open defecation to ODF status.
“In Nigeria, it is 45 million people that are defecating in the open; if India can move that number of persons within three years, Nigeria can do it also.
“So, we can move from that level to another, the responsibility lies with everyone of us including our presidents, the state government and the people to ensure that we don’t defecate anymore in Nigeria.”
Mrs Yemisi Akpa, a member of the National Task Group on Sanitation, said there was the need for an enabling environment to ensure the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation.
Akpa said there must be political commitment, increased funding, strengthened capacity and collaboration for achieving sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/NKO
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Nkechi Okoronkwo