In response to the cholera epidemic that has plagued 33 of Nigeria’s 36 states, the Federal Government is working to stamp out open defecation by 2025. This comes in the wake of 2,000 confirmed cases and 33 deaths lost to the disease in recent times, as reported by the health minister.
To combat the rapid spread of cholera, the government has launched the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign, inaugurating a steering committee to lead the initiative. The vice president, Senator Kashim Shettima, speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, emphasised the importance of mobilising strategic stakeholders, leveraging technology, and deploying innovative solutions to improve the nation’s sanitation.
Senator Shettima highlighted the critical role of hygiene and health in national development and urged the committee to align its efforts with broader government priorities, including poverty reduction, education, and economic growth. He urged the committee to develop solutions for wastewater management, contaminated water sources and open defecation, underscoring the urgency posed by the current cholera cases.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by rising population and climate change, Shettima advocated for the collaboration of the public and private sectors in innovative research, emphasising how technology could enhance monitoring, data collection and impact assessment.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Mohammad Pate, stressed that open defecation is a significant driver of the recent cholera outbreak.
Presenting the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign” report, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Professor, Joseph Terlumun Utsev, reviewed the campaign’s challenges and successes since its establishment in 2016 and its formal inauguration in 2019.
The campaign targets stakeholders to weed out the practice, which currently places Nigeria second globally, behind India. The 2018 Water and Sanitation Hygiene national outcome report indicated that approximately 47 million Nigerians—23% of the population—engage in open defecation.
The campaign’s objectives include nationwide mobilization of support and resources, creating a pool of resource persons and actors to promote self-sanitation, and setting up mechanisms for tracking progress and sharing knowledge.
The Nigerian Federal Government is addressing a cholera epidemic, affecting 33 out of 36 states with over 2,000 cases and 33 deaths.
In response, the "Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet" campaign has been launched to eliminate open defecation by 2025. Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima emphasized the importance of mobilizing stakeholders, leveraging technology, and innovative solutions for improving sanitation, aligning with broader goals such as poverty reduction and economic growth.
Health Minister Mohammad Pate identified open defecation as a significant cause of the cholera outbreak. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, reviewed the campaign's progress since its inception in 2016 and formal inauguration in 2019.
With around 47 million Nigerians practicing open defecation, the campaign aims to mobilize national support, promote self-sanitation, and establish mechanisms for tracking progress.
