Nigeria posts appalling record in ending open defecation

…Records 99.95% deficit in UNICEF recommendation

Nigeria is struggling with a 99.95% deficit in meeting the United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recommendation for addressing open defecation, with only about 5,500 out of the 11 million required toilets currently provided. However, about 10,994,500 toilets are still needed.

This is against the backdrop of the six-year Clean Nigeria: Use a Toilet campaign which started in 2019 by the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in collaboration with UNICEF to end open defecation in Nigeria by 2025.

Nigeria also requires approximately 20 million toilets to eliminate open defecation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“As Nigeria works towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, improving access to safely managed waste through provision of sanitary facilities, especially toilets, is imperative,” said Jane Bevan, chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) UNICEF Nigeria.

Speaking at a Private Sector Consultation on Open Defecation Free Nigeria organised by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resource, Bevan noted that open defecation poses a myriad of negative health outcomes for people and communities.

“To eliminate this environmental threat, we need approximately 11 million toilets for the 48 million people still practising open defecation, as reported by the 2021 WASH NORM statistics,” Bevan stated. “Currently, only 126 LGAs are open defecation-free, and significant progress is needed. We must build more public toilets to prevent open defecation.”

Bevan emphasised that while the estimated 11 million toilets represent a substantial financial investment, collaboration among the government, UNICEF, and private individuals is essential.

“Addressing this issue requires collective effort. The private sector can play a crucial role, particularly in urban areas like Lagos, by setting up toilets and supporting small sanitation businesses through loans,” she added.

Giving the figures on how much has been achieved in this regard, Elizabeth Ugoh, Director, Water Quality and Sanitation at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, noted that the federal government has provided over 5,000 toilets nationwide.

However, Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Water Resources, revealed that an estimated $10 billion annually is required to fund Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in its drive to create an open defecation-free Nigeria.

Read also: Addressing Nigeria’s sanitation crisis: Battling open defecation in Lagos

“This figure poses a $ 9.85 billion increase from the annual requirement of $150 million outlined in the 2015 National Roadmap to end open defecation in Nigeria by 2025.”

Goronyo noted that private-sector collaboration is needed to scale up efforts to bridge the investment in sanitation infrastructure gaps.

He said: “The estimated amount that is required is $ 10 billion is estimated annually and this has surpassed our budgetary allocation. That is why we are collaborating with private sector to see how we can morph out funds and construct more toilets. We advocate enlightening and sensitizing people to use the toilets they have already constructed in their homes and offices and other workplaces.”

Meanwhile, Nyamanso Ekanem, Thematic Lead for WASH at the National Economic Summit Group (NESG), said the dialogue is an opportunity to strengthen the economic and financial value chain of organizations and build sustainable institutions in the private sector on mutually beneficial grounds.

“Sanitation and good hygiene boost productivity across the entire organizational value chain,” he said. “UNICEF’s initiative to unite government, private sector, and development partners to explore investment opportunities is commendable. However, it’s crucial that investment laws are properly structured to ensure effective government support, policies, and regulations for the sanitation sector.”

He reaffirmed NESG’s commitment, stating, “We will collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to identify and pursue investment opportunities.”