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How UNICEF is using toilet business owners to stop open defecation in Bauchi

Open defecation is the act of passing excreta in open air locations instead of in hygienic, covered locations. The phenomenon does not just occur in the rural areas of Nigeria but also in the cities, and among the educated class in public tertiary institutions, business and residential areas.

It is estimated that no fewer than 48 million Nigerians defecate openly in and on bushes, gutters, sidewalks, motor parks, recreation parks, rivers and streets amongst others. Some efforts have been made over the decades to reduce the cases of open defecation in Nigeria. Regrettably, they remain mainly efforts, with only 105 of 774 local governments in the country free of open defecation, a development that bears severe socio-economic losses for the country.

Records have shown that in October 2019, Nigeria became the number one open defecation nation globally, overtaking India.

The question remains, how did Nigeria overtake India? This is a matter of serious concern considering that, India has a population of 1.353 billion people and 3.287 million km2 land area, against Nigeria’s 200 million people and 923,769km2 land area.

It took seriousness, determination and great efforts for India to improve. Now that Nigeria is where India used to be on this index, it will need do similar things – but even more seriously.

In Nigeria, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria will need to build at least 3.9 million toilets annually in order to end open defecation by the 2025 target.

It was for that reason that the Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF, organised a media dialogue to commemorate the World Toilet Day, 2023 at Azare, headquarters of Katagum LGA of Bauchi State which was recently validated and certified open defecation free (ODF).

While speaking during the dialogue, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of Bauchi Field Office, Dr Clement Adams, said that the availability of improved toilet in schools, public spaces, homes, and health facilities is critical to discouraging open defecation. He said, “Economically incentivising sanitation through the approach of toilet business owners, creates jobs and improves income generation while leading us to our goal to become open defecation free.”

The UNICEF OIC congratulated the people and government of Katagum LGA on the attainment of open-defecation-free status saying that “It is a testament that when we work together, we can achieve great strides.”

He stressed that, “The achievement in Katagum LGA needs to be replicated across the country. Out of 774 LGAs in the country, only 105 have been validated ODF. “

Adams explained that the World Toilet Day is celebrated every year to bring attention to the undeniable importance of safe and hygienic toilets in our daily lives, especially in terms of health, education and of course, socio-economic development.

For the 2023 WTD, the theme was: ‘Accelerating Change’ to highlight the journey towards achieving “SDG 6- Clean Water and Sanitation.”

Adams stressed that, “We are about seven years away from 2030 – the global target for the SDGs. We must therefore reinvigorate our efforts if we must meet the sanitation target of SDG 6 – safe toilets and water for all by 2030.”

He also said that access to safe and clean toilets prevents the spread of diseases; access to safe toilets means children, especially girls, and women are protected from the risks of attacks and abuse if they had to go into bushes to defecate; access to basic WASH services is integral to school enrolment, attendance, retention, and completion – the benefits are numerous.

“The work of community-based structures such as the WASH committees or WASHCOMS, is integral to promoting and attaining an open defecation free status,” he stressed.

Adams added that “ODF status is not an end. It is a means to an end. This means we must sustain the actions which attained for us, ODF in Katagum LGA and other LGAs in Bauchi state. If we do not, the achievement we celebrate today may be lost.

“In Bauchi state, Katagum is the eighth LGA to be validated ODF out of 20 LGAs. We still have work to do. The approaches we used across the eight LGAs must be strengthened and upscaled to ensure that we make Bauchi State ODF.”

In his remarks, Bauchi State Commissioner of Water Resources, Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki stated that, World Toilet Day is observed on November 19 every year to create awareness on the need of having and using toilets

The commissioner who was represented by the General Manager of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RUWASSA), Adamu Sabo, disclosed that the state government is determined to work for the actualisation of SDGs 6.2 target and the overall attainment of state-wide ODF by 2025.

He also pointed out that it is important to note that the state government was able to deliver eight LGAs ODF. These include Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro and Katagum LGAs. Additional 5934 communities were delivered ODF while two other LGAs were at different levels of becoming ODF. They are Bauchi and Zaki LGAs.

As one of the sustainability process, the state government identified and trained private entrepreneurs on sanitation marketing for improved latrine construction at households and public places like markets and motor parks.

According to him, 194 toilets business owners (TBOs), 582 masons and 116 toilet investors were trained on improved latrine construction both at household and public places across the state.

As a result of the capacity building for the TBOs, masons and toilet investors, 113,092 improved toilets were constructed across the state.

Awareness was created through promotional activities by the government and toilet business owners on the need of improve latrine uptake. There is a high demand for improved latrines by households. However, inadequate funds from household and TBOs becomes a bottleneck.

The TBOs were organised and linked to micro-finance institutions where they accessed funds for improved latrine construction on revolving basis and for business expansion.

The Coordinator of Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) Unit in Katagum, Bauchi State, Saidu Mohammed Alkali, then gave insights on how the Local Government Area was certified Open Defecation Free (ODF).

He further said that mobilisation was done through a joint effort of UNICEF, Bauchi State Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASSA), Katagum WASHUNIT and other stakeholders and. the community as a whole using several strategies saying, “The first was the community-led total sanitation (CLTS) approach.”

According to him, “The CLTS approach was to facilitate the communities to conduct their own appraisal and analysis of open defecation. People were mobilised to identity and find solution to their sanitation and hygiene need.”

Umar Shira, UNICEF Focal person for Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) spoke to participants at the media dialogue saying that the CLTS approach was a driving force that ensured ODF in Katagum.

Shira added that, “During this process, called ‘Triggering’, communities came to the realisation they were eating each other’s faeces in the communities thereby taking action to become open defecation free. CLTs triggered communities’ desire for collective change, propelled the people of Katagum into action and encouraged innovation, mutual support and appropriate local solution.”

The importance of adequate WASH facilities for effective and efficient learning and teaching was also stressed in order to develop sound and healthy leaders of tomorrow.

The assertion was made by the President of Environmental Sanitation Club (ESC) of Ummul Qurra Science Academy, Hadiza Tijjani Ilyas Azare, while fielding questions from journalists.

She also said that availability of WASH facilities in the school will promote healthy learning environment as pupils and students will feel free to concentrate on their studies knowing that any time ‘nature calls’, they have a conducive place to ‘answer the call’.

The ESC president said that, specifically, the girl child needs a safer environment to enable her relax to study lamenting that lack of WASH facilities in most schools have retarded the education of the girl-child.

She added that with availability of WASH facilities in the schools, the students especially the girls will feel free particularly during their monthly flow which normally keep them out of school for the period of time it comes.

Hadiza Tijjani stressed that, “In our school, here we have 45 toilets demarcated for females and males, we have water flowing regularly and the toilets are well taken care of. We are very comfortable.”

She also said that, “We have a pad bank from where we get pad for any girl who starts flow during the school hours. It is given freely. We also have toiletries to be used by all of us to keep clean.”

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