By Abdullahi Lukman
Special Assistant to Nigeria’s President on Humanitarian and Development Partners, Mrs. Imna Audu has expressed concern over the slow progress of the Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign in the country.
Speaking at the third national retreat on the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign,’ held in Abuja, the President’s aide noted that the campaign has resulted in the designation of only Jigawa State has open defecation free.
Mrs Audu called for collaborative efforts from state and local governments, as well as development partners, to accelerate the Clean Nigeria initiatives that was launched in 2019.
In his keynote address, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, also urged stakeholders in the sanitation sector to collaborate with the federal government to achieve a cleaner and healthier Nigeria by 2030.
Prof Utsev reiterated that 142 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 20 states achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in January 2025.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending open defecation and accelerating Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services nationwide.
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He emphasized that the Clean Nigeria Campaign, launched in 2019 under Presidential Executive Order 009, represents a transformative movement to address sanitation challenges and improve hygiene practices across the country.
The minister also stressed the importance of prioritizing initiatives to bridge the gap in access to WASH services for all Nigerians.
He said a revised sanitation implementation strategy recently launched aims to tackle key implementation challenges and expedite progress by fostering innovation, collaboration, and strengthening private sector and development partner participation.
Prof. Utsev urged state governments to play a more active role in achieving the campaign’s ambitious targets by investing in necessary financial and human resources.
He acknowledged the efforts of states that have shown commitment but called on lagging states to take action and learn from their more successful counterparts.
Other highlights of the event included the unveiling of the WASH Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials and the rebranding of the SURWASH logo, reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustainable WASH interventions.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, and representatives from UNICEF and various NGOs also delivered goodwill messages supporting the campaign’s objectives.
