Home » FG Says Ending Open Defecation Depends On Behaviour Change, Not Just Toilets

FG Says Ending Open Defecation Depends On Behaviour Change, Not Just Toilets

Nigeria’s drive to end open defecation by 2025 hinges on behavioural change and community-led action, not merely building toilets, according to the Federal Government.

Speaking at a workshop for Open Defecation-Free (ODF) validators in Nasarawa on Wednesday, Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, said sustainable sanitation requires citizens to adopt toilets as part of daily life.

“Sanitation is dignity. We don’t have to wait for government to push us. If we want a healthy workforce and a productive economy, we must embrace water, sanitation and hygiene as preventive health,” she said.

Ugoh revealed that 149 local government areas have achieved ODF status but admitted that momentum must accelerate if the 2025 target is to be met. She also highlighted the role of “sanitation marketing”, which ensures demand for toilets is matched by affordable supply and skilled artisans.

Facilitators at the workshop stressed that total sanitation means more than ending open defecation. It requires clean household latrines, functional handwashing facilities, and proper hygiene in schools, health centres and public spaces.

Nigeria launched its Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign in 2019, with support from UNICEF, the World Bank and WaterAid. While international partners continue to assist with financing and behaviour change campaigns, experts warn that enforcement of sanitation laws and deeper private sector involvement are crucial to sustaining progress.

 

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