Otukpo (Benue) – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) media group has advocated establishment of sanitation enforcement agents across the country in a bid to achieve a free open defecation environment.
WASH media group made the call at WASH Media Network Sanitation Workshop Agenda, organised by WaterAid, held in Otukpo on Monday in Benue.
Mr Wale Elekolusi, WASH Media Coordinator, Abuja stated that sanitation issues were becoming worrisome in Nigeria as a whole.
Elekolusi said that several means and measures have been adopted without achieving the desired results.
According to him, if you take a look at everywhere even in some offices in Abuja the nation’s capital, you will see people defecating openly.
“Excuses people give are either lack of toilets or no water to use on the modern toilet facilities they have and some toilets are in bad shape,” he said.
He said implementation and enforcement of sanitation policies and agencies could serve as a key to achieve the needed results.
Also speaking, Mr Linux Eze, member Media Network, Enugu said open defecation had become common practice even in bigger cities in Nigeria due to lack of sanitation facilities.
Eze advocated urgent stringent measures to curb the situation, adding that it will go a long way to eliminate sicknesses related to open defecation practices.
Ealier, Mrs Clarisse Baghnyan, Coordinator, Regional Learning Center for Sanitation, in her presentation “Understanding sanitation matters and the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), said sanitation had post a great challenge in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Baghnyan quoted UNICEF as saying, “Only 29 percent of the population in Nigeria has access to basic sanitation.
“Around 66,000 children die every year as a result of lack of sanitation facilities,” she said.
According to her, Nigeria is a giant of Africa in all aspects and in areas of culture, economic growth, modern cities, aspiration for future, but the country is faced with environmental challenges.
She, however, said over 20,000 communities in 31 Local Government Areas in 36 states have benefited from CLTS programmes to curb open defecation practice in their areas.
“Efforts are being made to integrate CLTS data into the WASH Information Management System (WASHIMS).[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]“This is a real time database being developed with support from UNICEF and as at June 2015, data from 46 Local Government Areas had been published on the WASHIMS,” she said.
Corroborating Clarisse, Mrs Wandoo Akosu decried a situation whereby Nigeria is seen as a pride of Africa, but lacking in maintaining sanitation culture of the past.
Akosu said the media workshop would serve a platform for advocacy to improve on sanitation and elimination of open defecation in Nigeria.
Other participants at the workshop unanimously called for implementation and enforcement agency to be established to ensure strict compliance.
They also advocated employment of more sanitary officers, and employ house to house means of supervision to check defaulters of sanitation laws.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop attracted participants from different states Ministery of Water resources, health workers and stakeholders in water sector. (NAN)