Nigeria ranks third globally in open defecation

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

The UNICEF field officer on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) Abuja, Mr. Zaid Jurji has disclosed that Nigeria ranked third in the world in open defecation.
Jurji stated made the disclosure yesterday in Katsina when he and other management team of UNICEF paid a courtesy visit on Katsina state governor.
He noted that the environmental situation in Nigeria was alarming, adding that it was unacceptable a situation where one third of the population engaged in the disgusting practice of open defecation.
Jurji disclosed that open defecation leads to a lot of diseases that are mostly related to air and water arising from the menace of open defecation.
The field officer urged the governor to always use any available forum to speak to people about the dangers of open defecation, Stressing that “ Nigerians listened to their leaders. You should therefore try to speak to them over these environmental problems.”
Similarly, Jurji called on the state government to address shortage of manpower faced by the State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) especially women.
In his remarks, the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari disclosed that the state government was building latrines in motorparks, markets and public schools across.
He noted that the government was trying to promote community ownership as a way of ensuring proper maintenance of the latrine facilities provided by the government