…Jigawa State emerges 1st Open Defecation Free among 36 States

…as 48 million Nigerians defecate openly

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, Thursday, expressed optimism that Nigeria hosting the 2022 edition of the World Toilet Summit gives hope to ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025.

Adamu stated this at a world media conference ahead of the World Toilet Summit 2022 in Nigeria.

Adamu explained that the 2022 World Toilet Summit serves as
a perfect opportunity to mobilize national engagement in the
sector by different Stakeholders, especially the private Unique global platform in which, stakeholders, NGOs, help to resolve the issues around Open Defecation.

According to him, it is going to be a unique opportunity for Nigeria to
accelerate progress through sincere collaboration with WTO to address the sanitation challenges in the country and erase the ignoble global impression and abysmal sanitation records.

The World Toilet Summit founded on 19th November, 2001is a Nonprofit Organization committed to improving Toilet and Sanitation conditions worldwide in line with the vision of the founding
father.

The theme of the World Toilet Summit 2022 is ‘Towards Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development’.

He said: “We are gathered here today to receive more information of the forth coming World Toilet Summit 2022, which you are all already aware will be held in Abuja Nigeria.

“The Hosting Rights was granted to Nigeria by World Toilet
Organisation founded by Mr Jack Sim.

“This World Press Conference has become imperative to bring
us up to speed as preparations are on for Nigeria’s hosting of
the World Toilet Summit on 18th-19th November 2022.

“This is a global event which will provide an excellent opportunity to bring greater visibility to the issue of ending open defecation in Nigeria and it is expected to enhance Nigeria’s capability to be better equipped towards meeting the target of ending open defecation by 2025.

“The 2022 World Toilet Summit which Nigeria is hosting is a
unique global platform in which Stakeholders,NGOs,
Development Partners and high-level Decision Makers
country sanitation challenges, proffer solutions that will
would come together to better strategize and address in
help to resolve the issues around Open Defecation.

“It is also a perfect opportunity to mobilize national engagement in the sector by different Stakeholders, especially the Private Sector.

“With the hosting right granted to Nigeria, it is expected that
it will be a massive boost to the campaign in such a way that
the Information about ending the menace of Open Defecation will be taken to all nooks and crannies of the country.

“It will be recalled that the National Campaign to End Open
defecation approved by Federal Executive Council (FEC) on
May 8, 2019 with the aim of mobilising all strata of the society in fighting the menace of open defecation.

“About 48 million people were said to be defecating in the open, according to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Routine Mapping Survey (WASH NORM).”

He also maintained that his Ministry is not resting on its oars as it will continue to work
tirelessly in ensuring that all the 774 LGAs in the country
are open defecation free.

“I assure you that the Summit will be a game changing one in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of making Nigeria Open
Defecation Free come 2025 as part of the dividends of democracy to Nigerians”, he said.

However, the Minister reiterated that, “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 certified open defecation free.

“As at today we have 85, Local Government Areas that is Open Defecation Free.

“It might interest you to note that Jigawa State has blazed the trail as the first State to become ODF.”