Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on governors of Nigeria’s 36 states to intensify efforts in the national campaign to end open defecation, aiming for a clean, open defecation-free Nigeria by 2025.
Shettima’s spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha in a statement said he made the call during the 5th anniversary celebration of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign, where he also officially launched a new Strategic Plan for the initiative.
Speaking at the event held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Vice President, represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, emphasised the significant health, economic, and social benefits of eradicating open defecation.
Shettima noted that tackling this issue would improve public health, enhance productivity, and restore dignity and safety to Nigerians.
The Vice President urged state governments to actively mobilize political support for the campaign, particularly at the sub-national level.
He stressed that the sanitation sector presents enormous economic opportunities, which, if aligned with the government’s renewed hope agenda, could drive job creation, energy solutions, and biological fertilizer production.
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“It is against this backdrop that we must re-strategize and increase our advocacy to achieve the goal of reasonable access to toilets by 2030,” Shettima stated.
“I urge governors to provide the necessary support to drive this campaign at the state and local government levels to ensure Nigeria is open defecation-free within the next five years.”
He also highlighted the dangers posed by open defecation, including contamination of water sources, disease spread, and adverse effects on education, economic productivity, and quality of life.
Shettima noted the disproportionate impact on women, girls, and vulnerable communities, and reassured Nigerians that the current administration is fully committed to ending open defecation as part of its commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 by 2030.
Shettima reiterated the federal government’s determination to ensure that all Nigerians have access to clean sanitation facilities, promising that the Tinubu administration will remain dedicated to this cause.
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Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, echoed these sentiments, recalling that the campaign was launched in 2019 under Presidential Executive Order 009.
He revealed that Nigeria currently has one of the highest rates of open defecation globally, with an estimated 48 million people practising it.
However, he celebrated the progress made, including 135 local government areas (LGAs) achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and over 30,000 communities being certified ODF.
Despite these accomplishments, Utsev acknowledged that progress has been slower than expected, with the nationwide target of 2025 still a challenge.
He called for continued efforts to meet the goal of an open defecation-free Nigeria.
Eze Kenneth Emeka, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water Resources, also commended the government’s efforts, emphasising the importance of staying focused on the 2025 deadline for eliminating open defecation.
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The event coincided with World Toilet Day, which is recognised globally by the United Nations to accelerate efforts toward ending open defecation worldwide.
The “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign continues to gain momentum, with increasing collaboration from state governments, local governments, international partners, the private sector, civil society, and the media.
