… Regardless of progress, you’re nonetheless removed from success – UNICEF WASH Specialist
… Solely 140 out of 774 LGAs have met goal
… Oyo step up grassroots engagement
By Chioma Obinna
On the break of daybreak in Araromi Aperin, a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Oyo State, the air tells tales most individuals would fairly not hear. Till just a few years in the past, open defecation was a morning ritual right here, an act born not of alternative, however of necessity.
At present, that narrative is altering, because of a decided mix of neighborhood will, authorities engagement, and UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), marketing campaign.
Throughout Nigeria, although the follow nonetheless exists, change is gradual however regular. From Lagos to Katsina, the journey towards ending open defecation is considered one of wrestle, resilience, and hope.
Nigeria’s sanitation wrestle
Open defecation stays considered one of Nigeria’s most urgent public well being challenges with far-reaching implications for public well being, dignity, and improvement.
In keeping with the 2023 WASH Nationwide Consequence Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) report, over 46 million Nigerians nonetheless defecate within the open, making the nation among the many highest globally on this regard. Regardless of authorities and associate efforts, solely two states, Jigawa and Katsina, have been declared open defecation-free (ODF) up to now.
“If we’ve got solely two states which have been declared open defecation free out of our 36 plus FCTAbuja, then you’ll be able to see how far we’re. We’re nonetheless very far,” mentioned Mr. Monday Johnson, UNICEF’s WASH Specialist.
“By way of what number of native governments have been declared, or the variety of states which have keyed into the ODF plan and are implementing, there are nonetheless states that haven’t even began the programme.”
In a foreign country’s 774 native authorities areas, nearly 140 LGAs have achieved ODF standing. That leaves a protracted option to go earlier than the nationwide goal of ending open defecation by 2025, as declared within the Clear Nigeria: Use the Rest room Marketing campaign launched in 2019. However Nigeria’s sanitation problem just isn’t solely rural. Fast urbanisation is stretching metropolis infrastructure past capability. As of 2023, 54.3 % of Nigerians about 123.7 million individuals now dwell in city areas, up from 29.7 % in 1990. But solely 25.4 % of city residents have entry to securely managed sanitation, and greater than 150 million individuals nonetheless lack primary sanitation companies.
In lots of fast-growing cities like Ibadan, Onitsha, Kano, and Uyo, overcrowded slums and unplanned settlements make it practically inconceivable to construct bogs or handle waste safely.
“City sanitation is our subsequent huge disaster,” mentioned Mr. Monday Johnson, WASH Specialist at UNICEF’s Lagos Area Workplace. “Rural areas are bettering, however cities are falling behind.”
For UNICEF, which works carefully with federal and state governments to implement the WASH programme, the mission goes past sanitation; it’s about dignity, little one well being, and sustainable improvement. “UNICEF’s position in Nigeria or any nation is to work with governments to make sure that the most effective pursuits of the kid are protected,” Johnson advised Vanguard. “Something that helps a toddler’s progress and improvement from schooling to sanitation is our precedence.”
He defined that WASH is central to kids’s well being and survival as a result of illnesses like diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid are sometimes linked to poor sanitation and unsafe water. “Kids are extra inclined to WASH-related infections as a result of their immune programs aren’t totally developed. That’s the reason hygiene and sanitation are key,” he added.
How neighborhood took cost
Nonetheless, Araromi Aperin in Oyo State tells a narrative of what’s attainable when management meets dedication. Identified for its decided Royal Highness, Oba Mudasiru Obisesan Alararomi, the neighborhood rallied across the name to finish open defecation.
Within the view of the Deputy WASH Coordinator, Ona Ara LGA, Mr Jimoh Adetona, when facilitators from UNICEF and the state WASH crew first arrived, they have been welcomed not with scepticism however with open arms. The Oba hosted the visiting crew, offered lodging, and even helped mobilise his individuals.
“Earlier than, our individuals didn’t perceive why open defecation was harmful,” Adetona recalled. “However now they understand it brings illness, and everyone seems to be glad to have their very own rest room.”
Via community-led sanitation, a participatory method that empowers residents to take possession of their sanitation, Araromi Aperin turned a mannequin for close by communities. Initially, it was solely the palace that had about 22 bogs till the Oba issued a royal directive mandating each family to construct a bathroom.
The Oba defined that to encourage his residents to construct a bathroom, they launched a smooth mortgage, after which, to assemble the government-subsidised low-budget bogs value about N65,000. Households are allowed to pay the preliminary price of N17, 000 whereas they rally spherical to help each other within the development to reduce the burden for the reason that majority can’t afford it.
At present, most households have bogs, and youngsters not endure frequent diarrhoea or pores and skin infections linked to open defecation.
9 out of 11 wards within the native authorities have already been licensed ODF, with the remaining few in additional densely populated peri-urban areas the place sanitation challenges are advanced.
In keeping with a instructor, Mrs Omolara Oyelude at one of many neighborhood’s major colleges, Islamic Mission College, the well being and attendance of pupils have improved remarkably.
“Prior to now, kids usually fall unwell or missed lessons. However since we received bogs, that has modified,” she mentioned. “Our enrolment jumped from 40 to 80 pupils. The women, particularly, not keep dwelling throughout their intervals.”
She, nevertheless, expressed concern over the shortage of academics to deal with the rising variety of pupils. “The neighborhood has taken over the borehole, however we’d like extra academics to deal with the rise. Nonetheless, we’re grateful our kids are more healthy and happier.”
Highway to certification
In keeping with UNICEF’s WASH Specialist, changing into open defecation-free just isn’t an in a single day achievement. It’s a structured course of anchored on neighborhood participation, authorities validation, and nationwide oversight.
Johnson defined: “A neighborhood first claims to have stopped open defecation. The native authorities verifies this declare, after which the State Job Group on Sanitation conducts one other spherical of checks. As soon as confirmed, all communities throughout the native authorities should be licensed ODF earlier than the Nationwide Job Group on Sanitation can validate all the LGA.
“On the state stage, when each native authorities has been validated as ODF, the nationwide crew formally declares the state open defecation free. This technique ensures accountability and sustainability, however it additionally calls for coordination and funding — two areas that always gradual progress.”
City sanitation problem
As Nigeria urbanises, the sanitation burden is shifting. The city inhabitants is rising by over 3.5 % yearly, making a mismatch between individuals and infrastructure. Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, and Abuja are amongst Africa’s 15 fastest-growing cities — but many nonetheless depend upon unsafe containment programs or open defecation.
In Oyo State, solely 8 of its 351 wards are licensed open defecation-free, and over 1.5 million households nonetheless lack safely managed sanitation. Research present that simply 3 % of excreta is safely captured and disposed of, whereas the remainder contaminates water sources and worsens illness outbreaks.
Regardless of these challenges, progress is feasible. UNICEF and companions have helped the state evaluation its WASH coverage, assemble solar-powered boreholes, and practice native artisans and sanitation officers. The state is now piloting Citywide Inclusive Sanitation, CWIS, an method that integrates protected containment, emptying, transport, therapy, and reuse of waste, guaranteeing that everybody, together with slum dwellers, has entry to protected sanitation.
“City sanitation calls for new pondering,” Johnson famous. “We are able to’t depend on rural fashions for metropolis settings. We want citywide programs which might be reasonably priced, resilient, and inclusive.”
Funding and structural gaps
Whereas progress has been recorded, main gaps persist, particularly in funding and institutional construction.
Johnson noticed that sanitation and hygiene are sometimes underfunded in comparison with water provide tasks.
“Should you make investments N10 million in water, you’ll be able to level to a borehole and present outcomes instantly. However the identical quantity spent on behavioural change in sanitation takes longer to point out,” he defined. “That makes it a tough promote for governments.”
A 2024 evaluation in Oyo State revealed no designated institutional lead for city sanitation, unclear roles amongst businesses, and 0 % finances releases for city WASH. The absence of coordination mechanisms between RUWASSA, the Ministry of Setting, and LGAs weakens accountability and repair supply.
Johnson emphasised the necessity for specialised WASH models with their very own budgets and educated workers.
“Behavioural change should be steady. With out funding and devoted personnel, progress will stay gradual,” he mentioned.
Sanitation as an financial alternative
Past public well being, sanitation represents a multi-billion-naira alternative. In Oyo State alone, analysts estimate a N 75 billion sanitation financial system if market-based sanitation fashions are totally developed.
By combining tariffs, taxes, and transfers, states can appeal to non-public funding into faecal sludge administration, therapy, and reuse. Nonetheless, households can at present afford to pay solely about N15,000 for protected companies — far beneath the actual value of N 50,000 to N 76,000 per family.
Bridging this financing hole by way of public-private partnerships, subsidies, and micro-credit schemes might create jobs and enhance native economies.
“The non-public sector should see sanitation as a viable market, not only a social service,” Johnson mentioned. “With the best incentives, sanitation may be each sustainable and worthwhile.”
Case for Citywide inclusive sanitation
Specialists agree that Nigeria’s subsequent frontier in WASH lies in Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) — a holistic framework that ensures protected administration of human waste throughout all the service chain, for everybody, in every single place.
CWIS promotes gender fairness, public well being, and environmental sustainability whereas strengthening city resilience to local weather impacts like flooding and drought. It additionally aligns with Nigeria’s dedication to Sustainable Growth Objective 6: Clear Water and Sanitation for All.
For states like Oyo, the place 52 % of LGAs nonetheless practise open defecation and solely 10 % of faecal waste is safely captured, CWIS affords a path towards sustainable, inclusive sanitation that leaves nobody behind.
“CWIS isn’t nearly bogs — it’s about programs,” Johnson concluded. “When sanitation works, cities work.”
March towards a clear future: Nigeria’s march towards a clear, open defecation-free future could also be gradual, however it’s regular. The good points in communities like Araromi Aperin present what’s attainable when residents, conventional leaders, and governments work collectively. The battle in opposition to open defecation is not only a rural one. As cities increase, sanitation should evolve from rest room development to full programs — containment, therapy, and reuse — that safeguard well being and dignity.
Because the nation prepares to mark World Rest room Day on November 19, the message from UNICEF and its companions is obvious: sanitation isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about dignity, fairness, and the way forward for each Nigerian little one.
“For us girls,” mentioned Mrs. Taiwo Adebisi, a mom of 4 in Araromi Aperin, “having a bathroom at dwelling means security and satisfaction. Our daughters not go into the bush, and we not worry for his or her well being or dignity. It has modified our lives.”
For Oba Araromi and his individuals, the journey continues, one family rest room at a time.
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