Funmi Lawrence
Nigeria has been ranked second among countries practicing open defecation globally, says the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
Dr Geoffrey Njoku, Communication Specialist, UNICEF made this known at a Two-Day Media Dialogue in Calabar on Wednesday.
The theme of the dialogue “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” is aimed create awareness to end the menace by 2025.
According to him, findings from the 2018 Water sanitation and Hygien National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) survey reveals that 24 per cent of the population (47 million people) practice open defecation.
” 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.”
Njoku, however, called for behavioural change and policy reform through community dialogue, advocacy right and engagement with policy makers.
He added that it was also important to drive cross sector collaboration especially with the private sector to improve investment in sanitatios sector.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Enugu, Mr Ibrahim Conteh said that by 2030, Nigeria should be able to achieve adequate sanitation hygiene while also paying adequate attention to the needs of women and girls.
Conteh noted that stakeholders must come in to join the force towards improving adequate sanitation facilities in the country.
” The Federal Government has declared an emergency on the sector in 2018 and have taken steps to achieve this.
” This partnership will yield tremendous result in achieving this goal.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria government in 2018 launched a national campaign to jump-start the country’s toward becoming Open Defecation Free society.
