Open defecation: Aliyu urges accelerated actions to free Abuja

By Stanley Onyekwere

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has charged FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) and all stakeholders to accelerate actions and efforts, aimed at making FCT open defecation free.

Aliyu revealed that in the FCT, one in every three persons practices open defecation, amounting to approximately 37 percent of the population.She made this assertion yesterday  while performing a groundbreaking ceremony, signalling the commencement of the construction of 10,000 public conveniences in the nation’s capital.

She noted that in 2014, Nigeria embarked on an ambitious 5-year mission to eliminate open defecation nation-wide, building millions of toilets and aiming to change the behaviour of millions of Nigerians.  

The Minister said: “On November 9, 2021, the FCT Administration launched an action plan targeted at ending open defecation by 2025.

“The plan involves providing equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and strengthening community-led approaches to total sanitation.”  

She reiterated that the optimal benefits that accrue from adequate water supply cannot be achieved without a corresponding improvement in sanitation and hygiene practices, stressing that access to adequate potable water and improved sanitation and hygiene practices, play important roles in defining the human capital development of a nation.  

According to her, the FCT Administration would continue to support and encourage private sector collaboration and participation in the provision of public conveniences in the territory in line with the commitment to work with the private sector to create jobs, while improving the people’s living standards  

She however commended the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, UNICEF, WaterAid, Lixil Corporation, USAID, JICA and other Development Partners for supporting and collaborating with the FCT Administration to end open defecation before the year 2025.

Similarly, in his remarks, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, noted that in line with national target and vision, the FCT Administration had drawn up a road map to end open defecation in the Territory by the year 2025.

Adesola, who was represented by a director in his office, Mr. Prospect Ibe, explained that the road map lays out a comprehensive series of transitions that the Administration consider critical to the achievement of the vision for water and sanitation. 

He stressed that the Administration would accelerate the deployment of infrastructure and technology that will support universal access to safe water and proper sanitation across the Territory, in line with the Abuja Master Plan.  

Also speaking, the Executive Director FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Dr. Mohammed Dan-Hassan, noted that clean and safe toilets would ensure fundamental human dignity for millions of residents, adding that open defecation spreads disease, threatens the security of women and girls, and contributes to malnutrition.