The General Manager of RUWASSA, Alhaji Mohammad Yelwa, said the federal government has declared a state of emergency against open defecation in the country.
He made this known at a workshop on development of Road Map for Elimination of Open Defecation in six local government areas of the state in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state and adding that the LGAs include Augie, Bagudo, Suru, Shanga, Gwandu, and Danko Wasagu.
“The workshop became necessary in view of the federal government’s declaration to end open defecation by 2025.
He noted that the Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) in Kebbi State in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has developed a road map toward eliminating open deification in the state.
“This is also in addition to the need for all stakeholders in the state to strategise toward achieving the said objective,” he said.
According to him, the programme will begin in the six local government areas for a start.
Yelwa revealed that available statistics indicated that Nigeria ranked second in the world in the area of open defecation.
“The road map toward ending open defecation by 2025 is being worked out; it is high time we fought it together,” he said.
Also speaking, the state’s Commissioner of Water Resources, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, described the situation as “serious and unfortunate”.
He said that the state government on its part was ready to issue licenses to individuals who would operate private toilets and constructs new ones along with water boreholes in rural areas.
