The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria’s target of ending open defecation by 2025 could not be attained due to the slow pace of activities geared towards achieving the goals.
To this end, the humanitarian organisation noted that it would take Nigeria up to 2046 to meet the national road map on open defecation free.
The UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist at the Zonal office in Lagos, Monday Johnson, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, during a two-day media dialogue with South West journalists.
The media dialogue on ‘Eliminating Open Defecation in Nigeria’ was organised by the UNICEF in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Information and Orientation.
Quoting statistics from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the UNICEF specialist said about 48million Nigerians still defecate openly.
He said only Jigawa State has attained open defecation free status in Nigeria, while only 105 out of 774 Local Government Areas have been certified free in the country.
According to him, going by the current rate, Nigeria cannot be open defecation free as Nigeria still maintains its top rank as the country with the most number of the people practicing open defecation.
Responding to questions from newsmen on the feasibility of Nigeria achieving 2025 target, the UNICEF specialist said “The answer to this is no. From what we have from the entire country, it’s projected that if we go at the current pace, we will only be able to achieve open defecation free Nigeria by 2046. It therefore means Nigeria will continue to eat their shit for all this period which is not healthy. It’s also means that we are not going to meet the SDGs target at all.
“So, it’s pertinent that all states in the federation should start to implement programme that’s aimed at increasing sanitation access, improving hygiene practices that will actually culminate into nutritional outcome, health outcome, education outcome even reduction of poverty in the country.”
He said the UNICEF has chosen Oyo State for its WASH programme because the state tops the region’s open defecation practice ladder with 54 percent.
Johnson said the UNICEF has liased with the state government to end the practice of open defecation with a target of 2028.
He urged journalists to redouble their efforts in educating Nigerians on the dangers of open defecation and also embark on solution based reports that will force government to implementing policies and programmes that will address the menace.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the state government had mandated the ministry of Justice to prosecute those engaging open defecators, those littering of the streets and other environmental offenders.
Oyelade described open defecation as a troubling challenge, but expressed commitment to government to achieving a marked improvement in tackling the menace.
He applauded the UNICEF for its collaboration in addressing open defecation and other health challenges in the state.
“For us in Oyo State, before this administration ends in 2027, we will ensure that there’s a marked improvement in this regard.
“We are encouraged by the collaboration of the UNICEF to tackle open defecation and other diseases plaguing human kind are reduced to barest minimum,” he said.
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