Exposed: Nigeria’s state with worse cases of open defecation

By Fatima Saka

Research has shown that Nigeria is among the nations of the world with highest population, with over 46 million people estimated still indulging in open defecation.

The practice has its side effects on nature and it makes the environment unhealthy, leading to various ways of downsizing our health, economic and social activities.

About 122, 000 Nigerians, including children under age five dies each year from diarrhoea and other preventable sanitation diseases. It also affects our low productivity.

While our economy suffers, research has also shown that Nigeria loses about 455bn due to poor sanitation, that is, 1% of the GDP and a third of that cost is as a result of open defecation. Open defecation also predisposes people to environmental harm.

Research has also shown that as at the 2021, according to data from WASH NORM, 64% of residents of Kwara State engages in Open defecation, 61% in Plateau State, while Ebonyi and Kogi States, respectively, have 58% open defecation cases.

For emphasis, open defecation is a human practice of defecating outside or openly rather than in a toilet. Those who practice this act usually do so in fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, or other open spaces for defecation. They do so either because they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional cultural practice.

Speaking with NatureNews, Senator Dame Nora Daduut, a lawmaker representing Plateau South Senatorial District, agreed that open defecation is a culture that cut across the country. She, however, added that open defecation is unhygienic, which also causes infectious diseases and is harmful to the environment.

“Coming to open defecation, it’s a matter of national concern, not just because it affects my state, there is no where you go in this country that you will not see this uncalled act, perhaps in a different degree.

Sen. Daduut acclaimed that, “So for us in Plateau state, particularly for me, I have also fought this because I have an NGO called Society for Community Concerns and it’s one of the concerns I personally took up in my NGO by building flush toilet in the environment which don’t have pipe borne water. I dug a well where people will fetch water from the well and flush the toilet and school areas are the targets because in rural communities, that is where you have defecation that’s rampant, we concentrate on school children and its environment.”

Speaking further she added; “In December 2021 commission poor flush toilet in a secondary school environment where the school children can used and even the community also can use it with the provision of water, because water and sanitation goes together, the government also, as I am part of the government at different levels”.

Meanwhile, connecting at difference levels she said; “The government has the Ministry of Environment and my husband was once the Commissioner of Environment in Plateau state. They used to embark on community sensitization then. In plateau state, at the end of every last Saturday of the month, it’s declared sanitation day. Of course sanitation day is to instill in people the culture of desisting from open defecation and it works, maybe in remote areas, it will be difficult to control but they are machineries put in place by the government in the environment to checkmate open defecation. I think other states too needs to key into it. It’s a bad culture also unhealthy for future generations”.

In addition, Sen. Daduut called on Nigerians and the Government to collaborate with NGO’s and civil societies by encouraging people to assist in building public toilets and hand flush toilets to curb the bad practices.

A resident in Plateau state, Mr. Uziel Christy who had an interaction with NatureNews, agreed that open defecation is highly a practice in Plateau state and can be found or seen in densely populated areas within different ranges of 70% – 80%.

The resident said people indulged in open defecation because they lack toilets in their areas, many people are not using the same toilet because of infections, some people believe there is more fresh air in open defecating.

Additionally, Uziel said “Open defecation can cause contaminated water, diseases/ cholera and expose people to poisonous creatures.

He also recommend that “People should cultivate the attitude of building toilets, the relevant government agencies should create awareness on the need or importance of toilets, there should be proper supervision of houses by relevant authority concerns and there should be sanction on defaulters ”.

Also, “People can be sensitizing through advocacy, community leaders, and religious houses. It can be prevented by attitudinal changes of relevant government agencies and people themselves,” he emphasized.

Dr. Patience Ben-Uwabor, lecturer at the Natural and Environmental Department and former Dean of Students’ Affairs, Crown-Hill University, Kwara State, “Open defecation is not common in the part of Kwara state I live, and I think it cuts across the state. I taught in some villages years back, and I can say that, it is not a common practice to see people defecating openly or see litters of faeces everywhere. Therefore, Kwara state is not in the practice of open defecation”.

In other words, Dr. Patience speaking with NatureNews said, “Open defecation is as a result of poor upbringing, bad orientation, poor hygiene mentality and illiteracy, and it cause environmental pollution, disease, disease spread, poor sanitation and unhealthy environmental status”.

She further added that government at all levels should engage their community in curbing defecation openly by Public enlightenment, Promulgation of Law against open defecation, Proper orientation, Quality personal hygiene, Open and public campaign against open defecation, Engage the social media enlightenment and Door to door sensitization.

Also, Mr. Urmar dan Fodio, a lecturer with Kano State Science and technology University, said, “All stakeholders and the religious leaders need to be involved to create awareness, sensitization and collaborate with agencies like Ministry of Water resources, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Health to bring out workable actions towards solutions for open defecation.