By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has disclosed that Access to safe toilets remain a major public health and environmental challenge in Nigeria.
He said many public places, particularly markets, motor parks,schools and communities still lack adequate sanitary facilities.
Lawal Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Kambari, stated this yesterday in Abuja during the commemoration of 2025 World Toilet Day with the theme, “We’ll Always Need the Toilet.”
He reflected the growing impacts of climate change, rapid urbanization, and widening inequalities that weaken sanitation systems.
He emphasized that toilets are not mere conveniences but lifelines that protect public health, uphold human dignity, and safeguard the environment.
“Unfortunately, toilets and the systems that support them remain underfunded, poorly managed, and neglected. Globally, about 4.2 billion people live without access to safe toilets, while in Nigeria, over 45 million still practice open defecation.”
He added that According to the National Demographic and Health Survey, access to improved sanitation remains below 36% for the majority of the population.
He noted that the lack of functional toilets in schools, markets, health facilities, and public institutions exposes communities to life-threatening diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea, particularly among children under five.
Lawal also revealed the emergence of a growing toilet economy.
While urging private investors to explore opportunities in sanitation infrastructure,
he emphasized that with collective action, innovation, and political will, Nigeria can end open defecation and provide safe, clean, and dignified sanitation for all.
He said access to toilet is a fundamental human right and crucial to building a healthier and more prosperous nation.
The Minister stated that the federal ministry of environment has keyed in to many interventions such as the Clean and Green Programme, which promotes access to safe and adequate toilets in public places; capacity building and training of Environmental Health Officers on fecal sludge management and toilet design and
partnerships with private sector actors among many other interventions .
Lawal called on state and local governments to prioritize sanitation enforcement, while urging communities and households to adopt safe waste disposal practices. He also tasked the media with enhancing public awareness on proper sanitation.
The Minister disclosed that World Toilet Day events were being observed simultaneously across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), featuring activities such as sanitation drives, advocacy visits, and commissioning of public toilets.
Similarly , The Senior Program Manager, Water Program Center for Science and Environment India Mrs Susmita Sengupta, in her presentation stated that in India the idea is not just to attain the Open Defecation Free status in area.
“The mission is not just building toilets but the main strategy was to connect sanitation to health , empowerment and dignity”.
Mrs. Sengupta explained that there should be equal emphasis on the safe treatment along with trained recycling of wastewater generated.
“ There should be active rural sanitary marts and production centers with trained masons should be made available at the village level”she stated.
The Executive Secretary of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr. Yakubu Baba, emphasized the urgent need for inclusive action on sanitation.
Baba stressed that inadequate access to safe toilets remains a major challenge amid climate change, population growth, urbanization, and social inequality.
“Toilets are more than ordinary facilities; they are essential markers of public health, human dignity, and social progress,”.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
