Women, Youth, hold key to ending Open Defecation, says Minister

Women and young people are key change agents towards ending open defecation practice in the country, the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu has said.

Adamu, who said this at the Unveiling of the Youth-Led Total Sanitation (YLTS) Strategy, noted that mainstreaming these category of persons was central to the country’s fight towards ending open defecation by 2025.

According to him, the formal launch of the YLTS strategy puts the youth on the frontline and emphasising their roles in reversing the ugly trend.

He said the theme, 'The Role of Young People in Making Nigeria Open Defecation Free by 2025’, was apt and also a deliberate call to action by stakeholders in harnessing the young people towards achieving the target.

The minister while appreciating the Presidency for showing keen interest in the Water and Sanitation sector, noted that this was a collective desire to change the narrative of Nigeria’s open defecation status.

“I wish to reiterate the fact that open defecation pollutes the environment even as it poses a great threat to the entire population and the dignity of the human person.

“Therefore, our youths are a key resources not only in the clean Nigeria campaign initiative, but also in other aspects of our engagements.

“The need for awareness creation and mass sensitisation on the adoption of good sanitation and hygiene practices became imperative so as to maximise the benefits’’.

Adamu said the ministry had fostered partnerships with the National Orientation Agency and the Organised Private Sector on Water and Sanitation for scaling up sanitation and hygiene in Nigeria.

The partnership with NOA, the minister said was done with the use of Communication Orientation and Mobilisation Officers to disseminate key messages of the Clean Nigeria campaign.

Mr Nature Obiakor, Executive Director, Youth Water Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative Africa (YOUTHWASH) was working and campaigning for right and access to potable clean water and sanitation.

According to him, the partnership to promote youth participation in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programs in Nigeria, is a deliberate one as they have the zeal and passion as tomorrow’s leaders.

“We have been mobilising and engaging people in campaign and activities that has to do with ensuring right to access to potable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services.

“However, with the emergence of Clean Nigeria Use the Toilet Campaign and the declaration by the President through the Executive Order 009, we deem it fit as young people to come together and see how we can work together with Federal Government in ending open defecation.

“We believe that youth are more with the burden of open defecation ad this young people in their numbers should come out and ensure that Nigeria is open defecation free by the year 2025.

“We have a strategic plan in collaboration with NYSC which covers 774 local governments in Nigeria , through community development service in sanitation group, with this, we shall reach the nooks and crannies of the country.

“If all Bureaucracies can be removed and we get support from the government and other stakeholders I believe and very optimistic that we can achieve our goals’’.

Obiakor added that the group was strengthening environmental health clubs in schools, saying all school environment ought to be WASH friendly.

Dr Edwin Isotu-Edeh, WHO Representative, said scaling up access to water and sanitation at all tiers of government was central to attaining the SDGs and economic development.

He noted that with the inauguration of the Clean Nigeria campaign, Nigeria would meet its country target to scale up WASH, calling on the young person to see the challenge of open defecation as a great opportunity to influence behavourial change.

He urged tiers of government to deliberately invest and support young persons to drive and support the process for WASH interventions.