Reviving the National Environmental Sanitation Day

It has a policy guideline and action plan based on six components of Food Sanitation, School Sanitation, Market and Abattoir Sanitation, Pest and Vector Control, Housing Sanitation, Excreta and Sewage Disposal.
But over the last few years, its implementation suffered so many setbacks, reducing what is observed today to a mockery of the original plan.
Observance of environment and sanitation day is now characterised by kids playing football on the streets while young men and the elderly sit at home or gather on the street to discuss politics.
Activities aimed at reviving the day was, however, started last week in Lokoja, Kogi State, under the auspices of “My Environment, My Health”, a new slogan targeted at spurring Nigerians, especially states and local governments and schools to pay more attention to the issue of sanitation in their surroundings.
However, the issue of sanitation in Nigeria is placed is not paid due attention. Recently WHO/UNICEF JMP figures for Nigeria showed that the number of people with access to improved sanitation facilities has dropped even further from 31 per cent last year to just 28 per cent now. This means about 122 million Nigerians do not have access to improved sanitation.
It is in line with this that the re-launched NESD is set to focus more attention on the issue of waste which has become a thing of concern to all. The federal government is said to be spending lots of money in waste management with little result to show for that.  The campaign and idea of turning waste into wealth by government, private sectors and individuals has been only been paid lip service in the country as waste dumps are found in almost every part of the cities and villages.
The need to end indiscriminate dumping of waste is one of the focal points of the new campaign.
According to Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State, sensitisation programme was also significant, particularly at this period of the year when a lot of unhealthy materials were moved around and dispersed indiscriminately as a result of rainfall and the attended debris and storm water that flows along with the rain water.
He said: “As a state that came out of a debilitating flood disaster recently, we have carried out a post disaster audit, which revealed that indiscriminate dumping of refuse, blocked drains and substandard drainages aid flooding.”
Wada said as an expression of Kogi’s commitments to a healthy and sustainable environment, the state has started developing a waste dump site which will be the first to be established since the creation of the state nearly 24 years ago.
“The creation of dump site symbolises our practical commitment to addressing sanitation issues in the state. It also demonstrates our movement towards the ideal, with the understanding that transformation is a process and not a project,” he added.
The Municipal Solid Waste Processing Plant being developed for the state is a 60 km model capacity plant expandable by 120km and takes about 225 tonnes of waste.
The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia L. Mallam, said the theme for the re-launched NESD was carefully selected to highlight the fact that most illness like malaria, cholera and typhoid suffered by people are as a result of poor environmental sanitation.
“It is, therefore, a wakeup call and an opportunity to all Nigerians to reflect on our general attitude to personal hygiene, environmental sanitation in our homes, neighbourhood, communities and public places and works towards ensuring improved hygienic and healthy environment,” she said.
While commending the effort of Kogi State government on taking stride in laying the foundation for a waste treatment plant, she called on all governors in the country to do same in their respective states.
She noted that the establishment of the plant will go a long way in fighting the menace of indiscriminate dumping thereby reducing the health hazard that may arise from the waste and also create job opportunities for many in the community.
 “A clean and healthy environment makes a wealthy nation, our health and wealth is in our hands. We cannot afford to play with our destiny. Posterity will not forgive us if we fail to act now. After all, cleanliness, it is said, is next to Godliness,” She added.
Uche Ekwunife, Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, said that the plant was one of the greatest asset any governor can leave for his people because of its capacity to create wealth and job for the citizens.
She added that any development in the direction that will generate employment, generate electricity, to grow the industries is an investment in the right direction.
Ekwunife noted that our environment is still growing and, therefore, we need to ensure that it meets with the international best practice when it comes to management of environment.
 “We are all here on transit but the environment is permanent. Therefore, whatever can make us grow the environment in such a way that we are going to achieve sustainable growth, economic development and sustainability of our environment in order to bequeath a good environment to our children is what we must do.
Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, Minister of Water Resources said the theme is very apt considering the efforts being made to draw attention to the challenges affecting the well being of Nigerians in their living environment.
She noted that every year, millions of the world’s poorest people die of preventable diseases caused by inadequate water supply and sanitation services.  
She recalled that World Health Organisation (WHO) said investment in sanitation has huge benefits of 50-70 per cent and estimates that achieving the sanitation and water targets could bring economic benefits.