By Olamide Francis
The Oyo State government has promised to intensify efforts to end open defecation in the state before the target date of 2025, saying the state would be the first to achieve the goal in the country, Nature News gathered.
This disclosure was made by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, on Wednesday while declaring open a five-day training workshop in Ibadan.
She said the state had always been a pace setter in good governance and human development, adding that the training was focused on changing the attitude of rural dwellers in the areas of hygiene and healthy living.
Adeosun reiterated the current administration’s commitment to stamp out unhygienic behaviors that contributed to mortality among the rural populace, describing the workshop as a practical demonstration of community-triggering efforts for early end to open defecation.
She declared that the state government would continue to support Oyo State Rural Water Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) to ensure that the aims and targets of the agency were achieved.
“We have set our own target to end this menace of open defecation and with what we have today and in the next four days in training and drive of the desk officers from the 33 local government areas, we assure the people that once again, Oyo State will set the pace among others in stamping out the menace of open defecation.”