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Nigeria ranks second in the world as 47m people practise open defecation

Ezekiel Johnson
Ezekiel Johnson
Nigeria committed to end open defecation by 2025 -FG
Open defecation

No fewer than 47 million people in Nigeria practise open defecation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has revealed.

That figure forms 24 per cent of the country’s population.

The figure was got as a result of the findings from the 2018 Water Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping Survey.

With the figure, Nigeria ranks second among countries of the world indulging in the practice of open defecation.

India is leading.

Communication specialist, UNICEF, Dr Geoffrey Njoku, made the revelation on Wednesday at a two-day sensitisation dialogue in Calabar, Cross River, with the theme, “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet.”

His words: “This campaign is trying to see what we can do not to be in the number one category of open category.

“There is need to create awareness about Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet campaign and mobilise resources to sustain the national movement.”

He stressed the need for a change in behaviour and policy to bring about the eradication of open defecation.

According to him, investment in the sanitation sector should be encouraged as a way out of the problem.

He stressed that the private sector should be deeply involved in the sanitation sector too.

The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Enugu, Mr Ibrahim Conteh, also spoke at the workshop, expressing hope that by 2030 the hygiene situation would have improved tremendously.

He said special attention would need to be given to women and girls in the area of ensuring sanitation.

He said it would be necessary for all stakeholders to be involved in the efforts if the required success was to be achieved.

“The Federal Government has declared an emergency on the sector in 2018 and has taken steps to achieve this.

“This partnership will yield tremendous result in achieving this goal,” he pointed out.

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