By Abdullahi Lukman
The Federal Capital Territory Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (FCT-RUWASSA) has begun a four-day certification exercise in 67 communities and wards as part of efforts to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across the territory.
The exercise, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is aimed at advancing Nigeria’s target of ending open defecation nationwide by 2030.
Officials are inspecting toilet facilities and basic hygiene provisions in households, schools, healthcare centres, markets and public toilets in selected wards of Kwali Area Council.
RUWASSA Deputy Director, Hussaini Abdulkadir, said the FCT had recorded progress in its sanitation campaign, noting that 171 communities across the 10 wards of Kwali Area Council had already achieved ODF certification.
He urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure that more communities meet the required standards and sustain improved sanitation practices.
Abdulkadir also called on task group members to work closely with households and communities to promote hygiene and sanitation practices, using the Simple, Immediate, Doable Action (SIDA) approach to encourage behavioural change.
He said communities that pass the certification exercise would subsequently undergo a final validation by the National Task Group on Sanitation.
The exercise is being conducted in accordance with established Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) guidelines and forms part of the revised Clean Nigeria Campaign strategy, which aims to have all 774 local government areas in the country declared ODF by 2030.
NAN
