Finding lasting solution to open defecation in Nigeria

Walking cautiously through the sidewalk of Oshodi Bridge, I covered my nose and mouth to avoid inhaling the foul odour when I observed a man defecating in the open air at about 9.25 p.m.

It is common to see people defecate in the open, especially at night when returning from work in the Mushin or Oshodi area of Lagos State, Franklin Ugegbe, a laboratory technician at a general hospital, said.

“It is an irritating sight whenever I come face to face with a person defecating in the open. It is nauseating and very worrisome despite warnings and enlightenment for people to desist from such acts.

“Apart from bringing a negative social stigma to the state and the country, indiscriminate defecation also poses a risk to the environment.

Ugegbe is not alone as Magdalene Achakpo, a civil servant with a federal government agency in Iganmu, Lagos, narrates how she stopped using the bridge while going or returning from work because of human faeces.

“Apart from bringing a negative social stigma to the state and the country, indiscriminate defecation also poses a risk to the environment.”

“I would prefer to stop at the brewery bus stop or the National Theatre gate and walk to the office instead of passing by excreta and inhale bad smell. Thought stopping on the bridge will be faster to the office.

“I feel bad about it. A person cannot walk indiscreetly on the bridge without stepping on human faeces; there is a need for intense sensitisation and action to discourage people from open defecation’’, she said.

Achakpo said that the bridge linking the Ijora Brewery and Orile-Iganmu used to be clean when she was newly employed in the 1990s until it gradually became a safe place for open defecation.

The problem of open defecation has been in existence for long and is not only affecting Lagos State but the entire country. This has also attracted local and international attention.

To end the unhealthy act, the Federal Government in 2019, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, signed Executive Order 009, while the Ministry of Water Resources, in collaboration with UNICEF and some key agencies, launched the initiative tagged “Nigeria Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2025: A National Road Map’’.

Since then, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has continued to organise programs towards achieving this goal, and between September 10 and September 11, 2024, in collaboration with UNICEF Nigeria, held a two-day consultation workshop in Lagos, dedicated to Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign.

The program targets, among other objectives, increasing investment in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and services.

Read also: Nigeria posts appalling record in ending open defecation

It also aims to drive innovation in WASH technologies and solutions, create jobs and economic opportunities, protect the environment, as well as promote good governance and accountability.

The event attracted 111 participants from various private sector organisations, financial institutions, and ministries.

Speaking in a keynote address, Hon. Bello Goronyo, the Minister of State, Water Resources, and Sanitation, said that though 126 local government areas in the country have been declared open defecation-free (ODF), there is still the need for innovative financing mechanisms and cross-sectorial collaboration to address the 9.2 million annual funding gap.

The minister noted that in spite of strategic value and investments in the sector, significant challenges have continued to limit access to basic water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services.

H said. “The 2021 WASHNORM report shows that only 67 percent of Nigerians have access to basic water supply services, with only 13 percent being safely managed.

“The data for sanitation services is also discouraging, with access at only 48 percent and 18 percent of which are safely managed. The open defecation rate remains high at 23 percent, with soap and water only available to 19 percent of the population. Such indices portray the country negatively, an intolerable reputation considering its role in Africa,’’ he said.

Goronyo stressed that the private sector should be engaged to support the government’s efforts in achieving universal access to WASH services, noting that the government alone cannot do it.

“There is an urgent need for private sector involvement to eliminate open defecation by 2025 through the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign,

“The estimated investment required to achieve universal access to basic WASH services in Nigeria by 2030 is 10 billion dollars annually, which is eight times the current investment; we therefore believe that the additional resources from the private sector can contribute significantly,’’ the minister said.

He said no doubt that the government has invested heavily in the sector because of its importance to national development, adding that a clean environment will improve the living standard of people in rural and urban areas.

He noted that besides the risk of exposure to diseases and cholera outbreaks linked to open defecation, women and girls are also confronted with the issues of the lack of dignity and inconveniences associated with the practice due to the non-availability of sanitation facilities or the risk of being raped when they have to go out at night to defecate in the open.

Read also: Cholera: Water safety threatened by improper refuse disposal, open defecation –NCDC

He added that access to WASH is part of the indices for measuring the socio-economic development of any nation, which cannot be ignored.

Buttressing the need for collaboration to bridge the identified gaps, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh, the Director of Water Quality and Sanitation in the ministry, pointed out the problem of a lack of infrastructure and that the money budgeted for providing sanitation was too small.

According to her, the service needs over 20 million new toilets and an annual funding of over 10 billion naira.

She said there is poor political will, weak policies, and low interest by sub-national government, as well as low private sector participation.

She lamented that the Clean Nigeria campaign has been a steadfast effort with victories and setbacks, and even though some communities have embraced the ideals of sanitation and hygiene, there is still much to do to tackle the challenges.

Ugoh said that the collaboration will provide participants with the opportunity to build on the foundation laid by previous endeavours to infuse new ideas, innovative solutions, and dedication to improve upon the course.

She urged the private sector and relevant stakeholders to provide the right investment and products to support sanitation and to campaign to end open defecation.

Also, Jane Bevan, UNICEF Chief WASH, Nigeria, said that sanitation is important in the country because about 48 million people do not have access to toilets.

“If we are going to build one million toilets, that is a lot of money. We need the private sector to make this happen; together, we can make a big difference by way of commitment. We have a target of achieving this goal’’, he said.

In her contribution, Chisom Opara, the National Coordinator, Clean Nigeria Campaign, reiterated the importance of private sector participation in mobilising resources, promoting innovative financing mechanisms, and supporting sanitation infrastructure.

Opara added that since the flagging-off of the clean Nigeria initiative in 2019, it has made several efforts to keep the country clean.

However, a round table discussion and panel session by participants agreed to address the various challenges that will prevent efforts in achieving an open defecation status in the country, and these include the need for public reorientation on the importance of sanitation.

The participants said they will utilise law enforcement to discourage open defecation through enhanced accountability measures and the introduction of innovative financing mechanisms for household toilet construction and infrastructure development.

And also to form a coalition between the private sector and the government to advance an open defecation agenda that will drive collaborative efforts to achieve universal access to sanitation and end open defecation in Nigeria by 2030.