open defecation in Nigeria

The Yobe State Government, on Saturday said it had developed a document to be submitted to the state assembly to enact a law against open defecation in the state.
Alhaji Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu, Yobe.
“The document will be ratified by the state executive council before submission to the state assembly as an executive bill for passage into law.
“The bill will seek to eliminate open defecation through making water supply and sanitation programmes more accessible to the citizenry. This is with an ambitious budget line in water supply and sanitation.
“The bill will facilitate access to and coverage of water supply and sanitation by 80 per cent, thereby eliminating the risk of water borne related diseases by about 90 per cent.
“We are putting more emphasis on household latrines, we have developed cheap technological options using local materials to construct toilets at homes,’’ he said.
He said that the agency had conducted experiments in Nguru and Bade local government areas, using the local technology and had recorded huge success.
“The communities massively accepted the technology and constructed toilets at homes thereby reducing open defecation and the risk of air and water borne diseases in the communities,’’ he said.
Mohammed said that the agency was partnering with the Atate Assembly Committee on Water, Health and Local Government Councils to ensure the document was ratified by the state executive council.
He said that the committee would also ensure that the document was passed into law by the state assembly.
“Nigeria signed the treaty to end open defecation by 2025, we are working in line with this treaty and development partners like the European Union (EU), UNICEF and JAICA,” he said.