Writing by Naomi Anzaku;Editing by Abubakar Hamza.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Toilet Day, Kaduna State government says it is committed in ensuring hygienic public toilets as a way of putting an end to open defecation in the state.
Director of Sanitation and Hygiene, Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, Alhaji Bello Ibrahim Giwa gave the assurance at a workshop to commemorate world toilet day, 2025 in Kaduna.
World Toilet Day is annually marked on the 19th of November every year.
The United Nations approved the observance of the day to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis, as research has it that Worldwide, three point forty-seven billion people live without “safely managed sanitation” and around four hundred and nineteen million people practice open defecation.
Speaking during the workshop, the Director of Sanitation and Hygiene, Alhaji Bello Ibrahim Giwa said based on research most of the diseases and sickness people face, are from open defecation and poor toilet hygiene, hence the need for the training and collaboration to tackle the issue completely.
Alhaji Bello Giwa maintained that Kaduna State has attained open defecation free status in ten local government, out of the twenty-three local governments in the state, saying the agency hoped to achieve more before the end of the year.
He stressed that most people that practice open defecation is due to poor hygiene in the public toilets and urged the Toilets Business Owners present at the workshop to ensure they maintain good hygiene and follow international best practices.
In his paper presentation, State Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation, Reverend Kuzasuwat Ishaya Peter explained that people will always need a toilet as it is critical to human existence, saying it enables one to pass out faeces without stress.
Reverend Ishaya noted that an improved sanitation facilities features should include clean and hygienic, washable and climate resilient as well as proper enclosure hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.
On her part, the program manager for Centre for Water and Environment Development, CWED Mrs Doris Zakama explained that there is an urgent need for all relevant stakeholders to come together on quarterly basis to discuss on the issues that pertain to toilets hygiene, as it is a critical part of humans that can not be neglected due to the health and environmental implications.
In his address, Chairman Toliet Business Owners, Mallam Idris Saleh who spoke on behalf of the participants appreciated the Centre for Water and Environment Development, CWED for the training, saying they would put in their best to practice what they have been taught.
The theme of the 2025, World Toilet Day is sanitation in a changing world, we always need the toilet.
Cov/ Naomi Anzaku.
