The United Nations Children Education Fund UNICEF says about forty six million Nigerians still practice open defecation.
UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office Dr Clement Adams made this known at a media dialogue to commemorate world toilet day organised by federal ministry of information and UNICEF in Maiduguri.
Dr Adams observed that the practice of open defecation increases outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and vomiting.
According to him, about sixteen percent of the population of Borno and thirty two percent in Yobe still practice open defecation, calling on stakeholders to review existing mechanisms in order to improve access to toilets.
“Since 2018, UNICEF has supported state governments in the northeast with the construction and rehabilitation of 4,752 and 2,976 toilets respectively across IDP camps and communities “.
General Manager Borno state Rural Water Supply RUWASA Dr Mohammed Aliyu said the state was in the process of achieving open defecation-free in four local government areas.
According to him the local government areas are Biu, Shani, Bayo and Mafa.
Dr Aliyu explained that the open defecation roadmap would soon be developed in the state, assuring to scale up strategies for behavioural change communication to end open defecation by 2025.
Dauda Iliya