The Abia State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, has intensified efforts to eliminate open defecation.
Speaking at the two-day workshop, which ended on Wednesday, themed “Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet Campaign,” the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, highlighted the initiative as a crucial step in achieving the state government’s goal of making Abia open defecation-free by the end of the current administration.
“This issue affects our health, it also affects our environment and our well-being in general as a state, Our dear governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has given a mandate that Abia State should be open defecation-free by the end of his administration,” Monday said.
He further stressed the urgency of the matter, explaining that improper waste disposal contaminates water sources and contributes to deadly diseases.
“Open defecation is not just a sanitation issue; it is an issue of public health, dignity, and even economic impact,” he stated.
According to UNICEF data presented at the event, only 2% of Abians still engage in open defecation, a figure the state aims to bring down to zero. Engr.
Monday expressed confidence that this goal is achievable, as most homes in the state already have toilets.
To fast-track the initiative, he noted that Governor Otti has approved the installation of 10 ultra-modern public toilet facilities across Abia, starting with Umuahia in the first phase. “The next phase is to reach out to every local government,” he added.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Mrs. Chizuma Opara emphasized that ending open defecation is not just about infrastructure but also behavioral change. She noted that 142 out of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas have so far achieved open defecation-free status since the national campaign was launched in 2019.
“Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet is an attitudinal thing, a behavioral change campaign and the act of ending open defecation is about you and I, it is about taking a collective decision and making efforts to ensure that we move in that trend. Ending Open defecation means that we must work together,” she stated.
Local government officials and other stakeholders such as the Mayor, of Ikwuano LGA, Dr. Anthony Nwaubani represented by the secretary of the Local Government, Hon. Ahamefula Azuonwu and the Director General of BCA, represented by Chibuzo Maduka – Iro present at the workshop expressed optimism about the initiative, pledging their support to ensure Abia joins the list of open defecation-free states in the near future.