UNICEF calls for renewed commitment in sanitation to limit spread of diseases

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Enugu Field Office has called on all stakeholders, other residents in the Enugu Field Office and Nigeria at large to renew their commitment and investment in sanitation to avoid pollution and spreads of deadly diseases.

Olusoji Akinleye, Acting Chief of Field Office/OIC UNICEF Field Office Enugu, who made the call during a zonal media Dialogue on World Toilet Day in Enugu recently, said the campaign was a call to action and a moment to pledge to increase investments, implement strategies, and champion innovations that bring Nigeria closer to achieving universal access to sanitation by 2030.

UNICEF, Akinleye, said would like to highlight three key messages in commemorating this year’s campaign with the theme, ‘Toilets: A place for peace.” He said that toilets, “essential space, at the centre of our lives, should be safe and secure.” He noted that for billions of people, sanitation is under threat from conflict, climate change, disasters and neglect.

“Toilets are a place for protection. By creating a barrier between us and our waste, sanitation services are essential for public and environmental health. But when toilet systems are inadequate, damaged or broken, pollution spreads and deadly diseases get unleashed.

“Toilets are a place for progress. Sanitation is a human right. It protects everyone’s dignity, and especially transforms the lives of women and girls. More investment and better governance of sanitation are critical for a fairer, more peaceful world,” he said.

The theme: ‘Toilets: A Place for Peace’, he said, highlights how broken or inadequate sanitation systems affect people’s lives, and shows how sustainable sanitation is essential to a healthy and stable society.

He also said that world Toilet Day raises awareness of the 3.5 billion people living without access to safe toilets.

” World Toilet Day is about the countdown to 2030 accelerating action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve sustainable development Goal SDG 6 Water and sanitation for all in by 2030,” he said.

Akinleye gave the statistics of sanitation position of Nigeria, where 48 million Nigerians practise open defecation (18 million children) 95 million are without access to basic sanitation services while, 70% of schools are without access to basic sanitation services (~91,000 schools) 88% of health facilities without access to basic sanitation (~27,600 health facilities) 80% of markets & motor parks without access to basic sanitation.

He further said that what led to Nigeria’s limitations of open defecation Free, (ODF) attainment are Insufficient High-Level Leadership, Governance and Accountability, that out of 774 local governments 17% (134 ) LGAs achieved ODF with 98% of successes in UN supported states and that Federal commitment declined since 2023, resulting in stalled ODF initiatives.

Rebecca Gabriel, WASH specialist UNICEF Field Office, Enugu spoke mainly on what is expected of the governments at all levels, private organisations, institutions, individuals to ensure that sanitation are provided and maintained. She for the establishment of sanitation pull fund with no interest rate. She called on more people to invest in toilet business.

Gabriel called on governments to dedicate more funding to tackle sanitation services in many public places like schools, markets health facilities to stop open defecation and also looked individual’s behavioral attitudes to open defecation.

Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, communications officer UNICEF Enugu Field Office, called on the media to take the issue of sanitation, toiletries and ODF very serious to further create awareness on the important of every home having a toilet.