Anambra, Sokoto target 2025 to end open defecation

Anambra State government has expressed its readiness to end open defecation by 2025 through encouraging citizens to build toilets in all motor parks, markets, hospitals and other public places.
The Commissioner for Power and Domestic Water Development, Obi Nwankwo, stated this in a chat with journalists in Awka as part of activities to mark the 2016 global Hand Washing Day with the theme ‘Making Hand Washing a Habit’.
 He explained that the water supply sanitation sector reform programme  11 is partnering UNICEF in creating awareness on understanding the importance of hand washing with soap as an easy way of preventing diseases and saving lives.
Nwankwo who disclosed that the open defecation free road map would be presented to the public same day, called on the people to be self-disciplined by defecating in toilets and washing their hands regularly.
“We want to totally eradicate disease causing germs in our society. We have realised that some people still defecate in the open, so we want to eradicate it. We want to encourage people to build toilets and wash their hands regularly after using the toilet, after child management and before eating,” he said.
He also announced that the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, would be crowned the ‘Wash Ambassador’ in recognition of her role in the provision of safe water, toilets and hand washing facilities to Anambra children, women and people living with disabilities.
Similarly, plans are on towards the elimination of open defecation in Sokoto State,with 67 communities in Tangaza Local Government Area of the  state already certified open defecation free (ODF) .
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Arzika Tureta, who disclosed this  while speaking on the rural water and sanitation efforts of the ministry, said in collaboration with UNICEF,  six new local government areas of Bodinga, Gada, Tureta, Tambuwal, Silame and Dange/Shuni had been selected to work within the 2016 fiscal year.
He said remarkable achievements were recorded in community approach to total sanitation (CATS) in Tangaza Local Government Area.
 “The programme is aimed towards the elimination of open defecation i.e. to have communities that are open defecation free, where nobody will defecate outside unless in the latrine,” he said.
Tureta said community-led total sanitation (CLTS)  had been executed in 60 new communities in Tangaza LGA while 1,980 water sanitation hygiene communities (WASHCOM) members, comprising 1,320 males and 660 females, were trained  in 132 communities of  the locality.