Open defecation: Minister of Water Resources declared Jigawa free

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev has said the Ministry is poised to end open defecation in Nigeria.

Speaking during an interactive meeting with the Senate Committee on the Ministry, Prof Utsev said the Ministry is currently embarking on a campaign, ‘Clean Up Nigeria and Use the Toilet’, which is aimed at ending open defecation in the country.

The Minister who was briefing the Committee on the state of affairs in the Ministry as it relates to its core mandate, said Jigawa state is the only state that is open defecation free.

According to him, open defecation has contributed to the outbreak of Cholera disease through water channels, while assuring that the Ministry will intervene by constructing more toilets around the country.

Prof Utsev said before now, the country only had 102 local government areas free of open defecation, but since he came on board, the tally has been increased to 123.

“In the sanitation aspect, we have the clean up Nigeria and use the toilet campaign that’s on going which is putting an end to open defecation in Nigeria

“The campaign is ongoing and the mandate of the ministry is advocacy – to liaise with the subnational; with the state and local governments, will are going to put an end to open defecation in Nigeria”.

The Minister told the Committee that the only challenge the ministry is facing is insufficient funds.

“The little challenge that we are having is insufficient funds, though we are liaising with the Ministry of finance, and Ministry of Budget and National Planning so that more funds will be given to us to intervene in the construction of toilets round the country”.

The Committee, however, questioned the success of the campaign on the ground that Jigawa State is not populous as compared to Lagos and Kano, and therefore cannot be used as a gauge to determine the level of success.

The vice chairman, Senator Kenneth Eze, who was holding a brief for the chairman, Abdulaziz Yari, with other members noted that Jigawa is not the best yardstick for it to feel that the programme is making the relevant impact.

“When it comes to population, Kano, Lagos or Abuja, then I can compare how successful that campaign is. Open defecation is common in the cities, and not in the rural areas.

“If you tell me that Oshodi local government in Lagos is open defecation free, I can say you are doing a lot of work”, Senator Ireti Kingibe said.

The Minister also availed the Committee with the performance of 2023 and 2024 budgets. According to him, the 2023 budget is 75% expended while the ministry is yet to receive releases for the current year.