World Toilet Day: Nasarawa declares warfare on open defecation

The Nasarawa state authorities has declared zero tolerance for open defecation, noting that entry to a rest room is an entry to well being, hygiene, security, and privateness.

State Commissioner for Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Dr. Margaret Elayo, made the declaration on Thursday in Lafia throughout a media briefing forward of this yr’s World Toilet Day, scheduled for November 19, 2026.

She defined that poor sanitation doesn’t solely have an effect on human well being, but in addition contaminates rivers, farmlands and underground water sources on which many communities rely.

“Every toilet built, should be seen as a river protected, and every toilet maintained as a disease prevented,” she mentioned.

She defined that insufficient entry to purposeful rest room amenities in faculties, markets, motor parks and communities continued to show residents to critical well being and environmental dangers.

According to her, “Government is promoting the construction of clean, safe and functional public toilets in markets, motor parks, schools and health centres, with deliberate design considerations for women, children and persons with disabilities.”

She pressured that no youngster ought to miss college due to insufficient rest room amenities and no lady or lady must be pressured to compromise her security and dignity due to the absence of acceptable sanitation infrastructure.

“Some of these schools have challenges. This will be part of my gift to some schools, especially when it has to do with the girl child,” Dr. Elayo mentioned.

“I don’t need any lady youngster to be uncovered to the general public simply because she desires to ease herself, whether or not primary or quantity two. That is why I got here up with this idea.

“Open defecation is not just an embarrassment. It is a public health emergency. It pollutes our water, spreads disease and strips our people, especially women and children, of their dignity.”

Elayo defined that sanitation stays a high precedence of the administration of governor Abdullahi Sule, stressing that the state would now not deal with open defecation as a mere cultural behavior however as a direct risk to lives, dignity and growth.

She subsequently, urged households to embrace correct rest room use, handwashing and environmental cleanliness.

“In Nigeria millions of people still practise open defecation, a situation that continues to fuel preventable waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea, which claim the lives of thousands of children every year,” she mentioned.

She warned that except deliberate and sustained motion is taken, the well being and financial penalties would proceed to undermine the wellbeing of communities.