Bauchi: UNICEF commends Katagum’s Open Defecation Free status achievement

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has commended Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State on achieving the Open Defecation Status (ODF)

This was disclosed by the Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF Field Office, Bauchi, Dr Clement Adams on Wednesday in Azare, during a media dialogue on World Toilet Day 2023.

Adams said the achievement by Katagum LGA was significant because only 105 LGAs out of Nigeria’s 774 LGAs have been validated Open Defecation Free, ODF.

Saidu Muhammad, WASHCOM Chairman, Katagum LGA speaking during the Media Dialogue in Azare

While congratulating Katagum LGA on the attainment ODF status, Adams stated that the achievement needs to be replicated across the country.

 “It is a testament that when we work together, we can achieve great strides,” Adams stated.

“The availability of improved toilet in schools, public spaces, homes, and health facilities is critical to discouraging open defecation”

He said UNICEF in collaboration with other stakeholders had incentivized sanitation through the approach of toilet business owners to address the problem of open defecation.

He explained that such interventions had created jobs and improved income generation while leading to the United Nations goal to become open defecation free.

According to him, the work of community-based structures such as the WASH committees was integral in promoting and attaining an open defecation free status across the country.

He welcomed media practitioners and stakeholders to the Media Dialogue whose aim was to commemorate the World Toilet Day saying the event also served as an avenue to celebrate the achievement with the people of Katagum.

Adams called for increased action to promote healthy, clean, and safe communities by enhancing access to sanitation facilities.

“The World Toilet Day is celebrated every year to bring attention to the undeniable importance of safe and hygienic toilets in our daily lives, especially in terms of health, education and of course, socio-economic development,” he said.

“This year, the WTD is themed “Accelerating Change” to highlight the journey towards achieving “SDG 6- Clean Water and Sanitation”. 

“We are about seven years away from 2030 – the global target for the SDGs.

“We must therefore reinvigorate our efforts if we must meet the sanitation target of SDG 6 – safe toilets and water for all by 2030”

Earlier in a remark during the Media Dialogue, Commissioner for   Water Resources, Nuhu Zaki, assured that the state government was determined to work for the actualization of  the Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 target and overall the attainment of state wide ODF by 2025.

Zaki disclosed that eight LGAs in the state -Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro and Katagum LGAs- had achieved ODF wide.

“Additional 5934 communities were delivered ODF while two other LGAs were at different level of becoming ODF, that is Bauchi and Zaki,” he revealed.

The Commissioner who was represented by the acting General Manager of the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASA, Adamu Sabo, commended the state government for initiating several steps to sustain the achievements recorded.

Zaki revealed that the state government’s sustainability drive has trained 194 toilets business owners, (TBOs), 582 masons and 116 toilet investors on improved latrine construction both at household and public places across the state.

He disclosed that no fewer than 113,092 improved toilets were constructed across the state as a result of capacity building of TBOs, Masons and Toilet investors.