A Specialist with UNICEF, Ogochukwu Adimorah, revealed on Monday that only 102 out of 774 LGAs in Nigeria have access to toilet facilities. This concerning disclosure was made during the first Toilet Business Owners Conference, held under the theme: "Providing the Toilet Nigeria needs to end Open Defecation: The Role of TBOS," at Bolton White Hotel, Abuja.
Adimorah highlighted the high number of people resorting to open defecation due to inadequate access to proper toilet facilities. She emphasized that even among the 90 million Nigerians who have access to toilets, their toilet sanitation practices need improvement, as per a recent study conducted on toilets and sanitation in Nigeria.
Referring to the study, Adimorah pointed out that 60% of toilet owners in Nigeria require toilet evacuation, while only 45% of the toilets are adequately maintained. This situation has led to substantial expenses, as Nigerian households spent a total of N2.3 billion on toilet emptying in 2021.
Discussing the distribution of access, Adimorah revealed that out of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria, only 102 LGAs have achieved open-defecation-free status, leaving a concerning 672 LGAs still vulnerable to open defecation practices.
Adding her perspective, Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at UNICEF, Jane Bevan, expressed concern over Nigeria's current construction rate of 180,000 – 200,000 toilets annually, which she deemed grossly insufficient to tackle the ongoing challenge of open defecation in the country.
Bevan emphasized the critical importance of the Toilet Business Owners Conference in addressing the open defecation crisis and asserted that Toilet Business Owners play a vital role in combating this issue in Nigeria.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Ms. Chidinma Okpara, stressed the significance of raising awareness and building toilets to bridge the huge gaps in open defecation practices.
According to Okpara, Nigeria needs approximately 11 million toilet facilities to meet the MDG target on toilets and sanitation by 2025. This implies that the nation requires a minimum of 3.5 million new toilets every year to work towards the goal.
Regarding efforts to address sanitation challenges, Okpara mentioned that her ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with other sister ministries and relevant organizations to enhance sanitation initiatives. The MoU aims to focus on sanitation and open business opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The conference was organized by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and ToiletPride Initiative, in collaboration with UNICEF and Lixil.