Shettima Tasks Governors to End Open Defecation in Five Years
Shettima Tasks Governors to End Open Defecation in Five Years
By Matthew Eloyi
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on the 36 state governors to intensify efforts to eradicate open defecation across the country within the next five years.
Shettima made the appeal on Tuesday at the 5th anniversary of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign and the launch of the Revised Strategic Plan, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, Shettima emphasised the need for state governments to mobilise political support for the campaign at the sub-national level.
“The new Strategic Plan for the Clean Nigeria Campaign is a comprehensive, actionable framework for Clean Nigeria that will help to actualise the call for reasonable access to use a toilet by the year 2030,” he said.
“I, therefore, urge state governors to provide the necessary support to drive the campaign at the state and local government levels to achieve our target of an Open Defecation Free Nigeria within the next five years,” Shettima added.
Highlighting the economic potential of the sanitation sector, he noted its alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, which could generate jobs, alternative energy sources, and biological fertilizers.
Shettima also warned of the dangers of open defecation, describing it as a “critical public health and environmental issue” that contaminates water sources, spreads disease, and impacts education and economic productivity.
“The present administration is committed to the call for an Open Defecation Free Nigeria, as part of measures to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 target aimed at building a healthy and thriving nation,” he stated.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, linked the campaign’s 5th anniversary with World Toilet Day, noting that Nigeria still ranks among the countries with the highest number of people practicing open defecation, estimated at 48 million.
He reported that since the launch of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign in 2019, 135 Local Government Areas (LGAs) have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, with over 30,000 communities certified ODF.
Despite the progress, Utsev stressed that the pace remains insufficient to meet the 2025 target, calling for intensified advocacy and action.
Sen. Eze Emeka, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water Resources, commended the federal government’s initiatives and reaffirmed legislative support to ensure sustainable clean water and sanitation efforts nationwide.
The event emphasised the need for collaborative efforts by all stakeholders, including state and local governments, private sector actors, and civil society, to tackle open defecation and improve public health outcomes.
