By Faridat Salifu
Kano State has commemorated this year’s Open Defecation-Free Day, showcasing its status on the global initiative: 26 of its 44 local government areas are now Open Defecation-Free.
Michael Banda, Senior education Manager with UNICEF, showcased the status on behalf of the state, praising the state government for upping the status from last year’s eight LGAs to 26 this year.
Speaking under the theme of the commemoration, Toilets: A place for Peace, the UNICEF official emphasized the critical need for safe, private spaces to meet sanitation needs and drawing attention to the ongoing threats to sanitation services caused by climate change, disasters, and neglect.
Banda, who described Kano State’s progress as part of its broader commitment to eradicate open defecation across all 44 LGAs by 2025, however, said, “This is a major achievement, but we must ensure that the remaining 18 LGAs, especially in urban areas, follow suit.
He called for continued collective efforts to accelerate the drive toward a cleaner, healthier Kano.
The UNICEF official maintained that open defecation remains a significant challenge in Kano, despite a two percent decrease in the practice, saying that given the state’s large population, these numbers still represent a major public health concern, contributing to the spread of diseases, malnutrition, and infant mortality.
Banda called on the Kano State government to retain trained WASH personnel and provide adequate funding to relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to sustain progress in the sector.
He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the Kano State Government’s efforts to create a child-friendly environment and eradicate open defecation.
“We will continue to collaborate with the state government to improve the well-being of children and ensure that every community has access to safe sanitation,” he said.
Also speaking, Amina Sallau, representing the Organised Private Sector in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (OPS-WASH), stressed the private sector’s crucial role in advancing SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
Amina Sallau expressed the need for financial innovations, corporate social responsibility, and technology solutions to accelerate progress toward an open defecation-free Nigeria. ENDS