Open Defecation: Nigeria WASH sector, sanitation impact and challenges

The Sanitation Status in Nigeria according to the 2021 Water Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM 2021) report, show that 48 million people practice open defecation including 18 million children.

The report also showed that 95 million Nigerians are without access to basic sanitation services and 70 percent of schools are without access to basic sanitation services as 88 percent of health care facilities without access to basic sanitation while 80 percent of markets & motor parks are without access to basic sanitation.

Open defecation is the practice of defecating or disposing human faeces outside, such as in the fields, street, gutters, bushes, forests, open bodies of water and other open spaces rather than in the toilet.

The menace of open defecation is worrisome as one in four Nigerians, 23 percent of 48 million lack access to a toilet. They defecate in the open fields, bushes, bodies of water and 18 percent health facilities lack toilets. Sick people have to defecate in the open or are discouraged from seeking medical aid and 39 percent schools lack toilets. Young children are forced to defecate in the open.

The existing Inequalities also showed that the rural poor are the worst affected as the poorest families more likely to defecate in the open than their richest counterparts as families living in rural areas are four times more likely to defecate in the open.

Nigeria’s global standing on ODF

Nigeria has been top 5 open defecators in the world for the past 15 years, moving from 5th place in 2003, 2nd place in 2015 and now 1^st place in 2023 with the eradication of open defecation in India in 2019.

The Largest number of open defecators globally according to the United Nations Children’s Fund and World Health Organization(UNICEF/WHO) Joint Monitoring Programme(JMP) are Nigeria 47 million, Ethiopia 20 million, Indonesia 17 million, Pakistan 16 million and Niger 16 million.

Nigeria’s ranking of open defecation by LGA

According to UNICEF, only 102 of 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) which is the 13 percent are certified Open Defecation Free (ODF). Katsina is 74 percent poised to achieve State-wide ODF in 2023 and 24 States and FCT have no ODF validated LGA.

As at 2022, Jigawa is the only state with open defecation free status while Katsina has achieved ODF in 24 out of 34 LGAs. Only 11 LGAs in Kano has achieved ODF while Benue have 9 ODF LGAs, Bauchi 7, Cross River 6, Kaduna 5, Zamfara 3, Anambra 3, Borno 2, Akwa Ibom 1, Yobe 1 and Osun also 1 LGA that has achieved ODF.

Economic cost of open defecation

Diseases such as diarrhoea are top 5 causes of death & disability among children, hepatitis, typhoid, etc. Also, Cholera outbreaks hospital-acquired infections, neonatal and infant deaths often occur as a result of open defecation.

Also Neglected Tropical Diseases and more than 60,000 deaths occur each year in Nigeria due to poor WASH.

About 1.3 percent of GDP or N455 billion is lost annually due to poor access to sanitation, healthcare savings and productivity. Every dollar invested in water and sanitation results in economic benefits ranging from $3 to $34.

Poor WASH causes a disease cycle leading to malnutrition and underdevelopment, poor educational outcomes due to absenteeism, dropout, low productivity, poor performance, dignity and increased risks of environmental, contamination and degradation.

Government’s sanitation commitments and priorities

In 2016, Federal Government launched the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.

SDG 6 is to ensure clean water and sanitation for all”. It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, the official wording is: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Also in 2016, the Federal Government also launched the National Roadmap to End Open Defecation and in 2018, the WASH Sector also witnessed Presidential Declaration of a State of Emergency in WASH and the Launch of a National Action Plan & commitment to End open defecation.

From 2020 to 2023, Jigawa State is the first and only state to declare ODF in Nigeria as the government reiterated its commitment to end open defecation.

Is Nigeria on track to end open defecation by 2025?

The UNICEF Nigeria WASH Specialist Ogochukwu Chisom Adimorah in her presentation at the Media Dialogue on Open Defecation in Borno State said Nigeria is set to achieve ODF by 2059 (36 years) at current rate.

The trend of ODF LGAs in Nigeria showed that Nigeria achieved ODF in only one local government in 2016, six in 2018, ten in 2019, 27 in 2020, 28 in 2021 and 2022 instead of cumulative 7 in 2018, 17 in 2019, 44 in 2020, 72 in 2021 and 100 in 2022.

Adimorah however said, Nigeria only have until 2025(3 years) to the National ODF Road Map to achieve this goal and therefore need to achieve at least 224 ODF LGAs annually between 2023 and 2025 or 84 LGAs per year until 2030.

Key challenges and risks to the sanitation sector

According to Adimorah, low financing, commitment and investment interest in Sanitation currently affect capacities to respond to the multiple demands for sanitation across the country.

She said the government needs at least 3 times increase in budget as households increase more than 10 times, citing WASH account & National Action Plan.

She also identified low private sector participation and low Awareness of health and business case for sanitation as key challenges to achieving ODF status in Nigeria

“Coordination and Collaboration with other sectors such as health, education, environment need increased governance and accountability for WASH in Institutions, policies to address Equity gap for women, poor, the rural dwellers, population growth rate; climate change & growing insecurity are key risks,” she stated.

Adimorah said Nigeria cannot continue business as usual or it will miss the target of 2025 and 2030 and there is need to strengthen and scale up proven strategies to reach the country’s goals.

How Biu and Shani LGAs achieved ODF status

Tribune in a field trip with UNICEF gathered that many rural community dwellers in Biu and Shani have abandoned the long-standing practice of defecating in the open as a result of aggressive campaigns by state and local government officials, international partners and traditional rulers.

UNICEF data showed that only 14 percent of schools, 12 percent of healthcare facilities and 0.4 percent of public places in Borno state have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

The Emir of Biu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar Mustapha II in his remarks, expressed commitment to ensure that the remaining three local government areas under his kingdom, that is Kwaya Kusar, Hawul and Bayo are certified open defecation free.

“We promised to give the needed support to ensure that the remaining three local governments have achieved the status of ODF, I will personally visit the areas during the campaign and fully mobilize people to accept the good practice”

A visit to Madiya, a rural community in Biu LGA, showed that every household has at least one toilet facility, thereby making the residents completely abandon the practice of open defecation. It was the same situation in Walama, one of the eleven wards in Shani local government.

These unprecedented efforts have earned the two local government areas status of Open defecation free out the twenty-seven local government areas in the state.

Despite the rural nature of the communities and the low-level status of the inhabitants, they formed WASH committees where they personally contributed to sustain the effort.

The Chairman of WASHCOM Federation Shani local government Bukar Shettima disclosed that the community-led total sanitation approach has played a significant role in achieving the target.

He said: “Open Defecation is strange in our communities, before we embrace the practice, we usually record high cases of diarrhea and vomiting but now our children are healthier and attend school regularly”.

Also a community volunteer in Walama Maryam Malum said they also embark on regular visitation to households and public places to ensure that the area is safe and clean.

“We sensitize particularly the women folk on importance of hygiene, ensure toilets are cleaned regularly and also educate them to wash their hands and of their children with soap or ash after using the toilets and am happy to tell you that they have all embraced the practice ” Maryam added.

A resident of Madiya Emmanuel Some, who spoke through an interpreter said he learnt about the danger of open defecation through the UNICEF and government’s rural-based campaign.

He said this prompted him and the community to start efforts of constructing latrine toilets in every home thereby eradicating waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhoea

“Those who have the wherewithal constructed ‘soak way toilets’, and those who do not construct pit toilets.

“Before now, we use to share the stream with animals, but now the sensitization and construction of the borehole by UNICEF and DIZ bank of Germany has helped improve sanitation and hygiene habits of the people of the community.”

The Chief of Walama community, Ali Mohammed Walama, disclosed that the community has taken ownership of maintaining and repairing the solar-powered borehole and other water facilities, to ensure optimal water and sanitation practices.

“We have given stern warnings that no one should defecate in the open. We have also enacted a Bye-law which attracts a fine when violated with the support of the Emir of Shani

The General Manager, Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency RUWASSA Alhaji Babagana Sa’ad, expressed commitment of the state government to strengthen enabling environment to effectively achieve full access to improved WASH services.

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, Mr. Lonis Salihu said the organisation with the support of the state government and Government of the Netherlands have constructed and rehabilitated about 350 solar-powered boreholes, provided thirteen thousand emergency latrines and reached over one million people with sanitation services from 2015 to date.

The stakeholders have agreed that the collaborative effort has gained significant momentum, however, there was the need to invest in WASH infrastructure, and sustain the ongoing awareness campaign to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

At the Primary Health Centre in Shani LGA, Tribune interacted with Yunana Some, the Deputy facility manager, of Walama Primary Health Care Centre (PHC), as he said there is a reduction in diseases like diarrhoea in the community and environs because of the provision of a solar-powered borehole by UNICEF.

Some further disclosed that the borehole has helped our health facility to have clean water to attend to patients and also clean the toilets, and the environment.

“Before now, we used to buy water from the town and it was not enough. We used to also see frequent cases of typhoid fever.”

The Head of Youths in Madiya, and a member of the WASH committee (WASHCOM) in the village, said he helped build the toilets in the community.

He said residents also contributed money among themselves to build the toilets as he added that to build a toilet cost about N100,000 as the challenge is usually in the digging and we volunteer to help.

He also disclosed that the community free of open defecation, because they have also instituted a law against it, and that those who violate it are arrested and fined.

Also, the Secretary of WASHCOM in the community, who said he helped mobilise funds to help each household build a toilet, maintained that there is a significant improvement in the health of children.

Senior local government area, WASH facilitator, Biu, Asabe Mshelbara, said the local government was so committed to improving sanitation and hygiene practices that the teams went very hard to reach areas where returning back to Biu after sensitization programme sometimes was difficult, particularly during the rainy seasons.

Also, the UNICEF Nigeria WASH Specialist, Lonis Salihu, said Borno State is currently developing a roadmap to become open defecation free.

He said due to UNICEF-supported interventions, two out of the 27 local government areas in the state have been declared open defecation free.

He said successes in expanding WASH facilities were recorded as a result of UNICEF’s adoption of “no one is left behind” method, high level of political will and acceptance of the programme from the traditional rulers, introduction of Bye-law to facilitate the attainment and sustenance of open defecation free, and Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to support local government areas and the state with provision of latrines in the public places.

The Transitional Chairman of Biu local government, Sule Ali Abubakar, said the WASH Unit staff members are engaging with community members and going from one community to the other to educate people on the importance of a clean environment, good hygiene, sustaining the open defection free status and ensuring that cholera remains a thing of the past in Biu.

He said the local government has constructed toilet facilities in most of its institutions and also asked filling stations and schools to provide toilet facilities within their premises.

Represented by Saidu Kabura, Chief personnel Officer, he said evidence of partners’ support for WASH activities in the local government area includes construction of WASH facilities in health centres, construction of toilets in public places, schools, markets etc, drilling, upgrading and renovation of boreholes across Biu local government area in different communities, and development of water safety plans, among others.

He said the local government area is grateful to UNICEF and donor organisations including the Governments of Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

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