By Abbas Nazil and Abdullahi Lukman
Residents of Kogi East and Kogi Central have raised concerns over the growing rate of open defecation, blaming the situation on the shortage of public toilets, poor maintenance of existing facilities, and inadequate government attention to sanitation infrastructure.
Across several communities and busy market areas, residents said the lack of accessible and functional toilets has forced many people to resort to bushes, open fields, roadside spaces, and hidden corners to ease themselves, especially in markets and motor parks.
In an interview with NatureNews, residents in Kogi East recalled that former Senator Aidoko Ali had constructed public toilet facilities in some communities to improve sanitation and reduce open defecation.
However, many of the facilities have reportedly become abandoned and unusable due to neglect and poor maintenance.
A resident, Hassan Saleh, said the toilets initially served the communities effectively before deteriorating over time.
According to him, poor supervision, lack of water supply, and government neglect contributed to the collapse of the facilities.
“The toilets helped the community when they were newly built, but many of them are no longer functional because they were not maintained,” he said.
Another resident, Kadiri Muhammad, warned that the increasing rate of open defecation poses serious health risks to residents, especially during the rainy season when waste is washed into roads and drainage systems.
Health experts have also cautioned that poor sanitation and open defecation can trigger outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea, and other related diseases.
In Kogi Central, traders and residents lamented the absence of public conveniences in major markets, describing the situation as unhealthy and embarrassing.
A food vendor, Mallam Adamu, said traders often struggle to find places to relieve themselves during market hours.
“Nature does not give warning before coming.
We suffer this problem every market day,” he said.
Mrs. Aisha Yakubu, a tomato trader, noted that women and children are among the worst affected, as many people are forced to use nearby bushes or secluded areas due to the absence of toilets.
A commercial motorcycle rider, Ibrahim Musa, also described the sanitation condition as dangerous to public health, saying visitors frequently complain about foul smells and dirty surroundings.
Residents across both districts have called on the
Kogi State Government and the Kogi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency to rehabilitate abandoned toilet facilities and construct new ones in strategic public locations.
They also urged authorities to strengthen sanitation awareness campaigns and establish proper maintenance systems to keep public toilets functional and accessible.
Observers warned that unless urgent action is taken, open defecation may continue to threaten public health and environmental safety across the affected communities.
