By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

THE Federal Government, Wednesday, declared 100 Local Government Areas Open Defecation Free, ODF, on the heels of the Open Defecation Free Campaign.

This is coming after the World Toilet Summit Nigeria hosted in Abuja with huge interest indicated to invest in the multi-billion sanitation economy.

The disclosure was made by the Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, in a statement signed by the Director Press and Public Relations, Kenechukwu Offie, as the National Task Group on Sanitation NTGS, a Multi Sectoral Platform involving Line Ministries, Agencies, NGO Network and the Media, has certified and declared additional seven new Local Government Areas as Open Defecation Free.

The statement reads in part, “The National Task Group on Sanitation NTGS, a Multi Sectoral Platform involving Line Ministries, Agencies, NGO Network and the Media, has certified and declared additional seven new Local Government Areas as Open Defecation Free.

“This brings the total number of Open Defecation Free Local Government Areas to 100.

“This is a significant milestone.

“The breakdown are as follows; Jigawa State, the first Open Defecation Free State (27 LGAs); Anambra (3), Akwa Ibom (1), Bauchi (7) , Benue (9), Bornu (2), Cross River (6), Kano(11) Kaduna (5), Katsina (24), Osun (1), Yobe (1) , Zamfara (3) Local Government Areas respectively.

“It will be recalled that as at 2017, only one Local Government Area, Obaniluku LGA in Cross River State was ODF.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, declared a state of emergency in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector in 2018 and flagged off the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign in November, 2019, backed by Executive Order 9, towards making Nigeria open defecation free by 2025.”