Over 40 million Nigerians defecates openly – UNICEF

The United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that over 46 million Nigerians defecates openly.

Head of Enugu field office, Dr. Ibrahim Conteh stated this at a ‘One Day Media Dialogue’ organised in collaboration with Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State in commemoration of the 2021.World Water Day with the theme: “Valuing Toilets”.

He lamented the high rate of citizens who defecates openly despite efforts of stakeholders in sensitising citizens against it.

“About 46 million Nigerians still defe­cate in the open.”

He said: “according to new figures soon to be released on Nigerians’ access to Wa­ter, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services, the rate of open defecation has remained steady at 23 percent.”

Dr Conteh named the states with the highest rates of open defecation to include Kwara, Plateau and Ebonyi while those with the lowest rates are Abia, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom.