Nigerian Vice President Urges Governors To End Open Defecation By 2029

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria  

Nigerian Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima has called on governors of Nigeria’s 36 states to intensify efforts to make the country open defecation-free within the next five years.

Speaking during the 5th anniversary of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, Shettima highlighted the health, productivity, and dignity benefits of eradicating open defecation.

Represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Ibrahim Hadejia, Shettima unveiled a Strategic Plan aimed at accelerating progress towards an Open Defecation Free (ODF) Nigeria by 2029. The event coincided with the commemoration of World Toilet Day, an annual United Nations initiative to promote sanitation.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President urged state governments to mobilise political will and resources to drive the campaign at the local and state levels. “We need deliberate, high-level political support to achieve our goals, particularly at the sub-national level,” Shettima said.

Shettima emphasised the economic opportunities tied to improved sanitation, including job creation, alternative energy production, and biological fertilisers, aligning with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He also warned about the public health hazards of open defecation, which compromise water sources, spread diseases, and harm education and economic productivity, particularly for women and vulnerable groups.

“The Federal Government remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, ensuring access to adequate sanitation by 2030,” Shettima said. He commended stakeholders, including state governors, local government chairpersons, international partners, and civil societies, for their ongoing support.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, highlighted significant progress since the campaign’s launch in 2019 under Presidential Executive Order 009. He reported that 135 Local Government Areas have achieved ODF status, with over 30,000 communities certified as ODF. However, Nigeria still has an estimated 48 million people practising open defecation, making accelerated efforts crucial.

“The progress rate remains inadequate to meet the 2025 target for nationwide ODF status. More states and LGAs are undergoing verification in line with the National Protocol on Open Defecation Free,” Utsev said.

Senate Committee on Water Resources Chairman, Eze Emeka, commended the Federal Government for launching and sustaining the campaign, urging stakeholders to remain focused on the 2025 target. “The initiative demonstrates a transformative effort to ensure clean water and eliminate open defecation,” he noted.