Yobe, AfDB plan 432 latrines in schools, public places

Yobe state government, in partnership with African Development Bank (ADB), has concluded arrangements to build a total of 432 latrines in schools and other public places across the 17 local government areas of the state.
The Programme Manager of AfDB in the state, Engr. Musa Haruna, disclosed this to newsmen in his office in Damaturu, the state capital.

According to the PM, the provision of latrines in those places is part of the sanitation aspect of the AfDB programmes in the state.
Haruna mentioned that the project would be executed in phases, adding that “252 blocks of latrines comprising 760 compartments has already been awarded in 10 LGAs, while the remaining 180 for the remaining seven LGAs will soon be advertised for prospective contractors.”

He noted that the entire project would be executed at the cost of N620 million, and called on the people to take ownership of the projects after completion “so as to ensure maximum value for the facilities.”

“You will agree with me that open defection is such a common practice amongst the people and it’s very harmful, especially in public places like markets and schools. Open daefecation can cause a lot of health hazards like cholera, and diarrhea among children.

“This programme is, therefore, aimed at negating some of these practices and in turn it will reduce the health hazards associated with those practices. Our target is the school children in schools and public places like markets, etc.”
He said the AfDB was intervening in over 1, 000 communities across the state in the area of water supply through the drilling of motorised boreholes, concrete lined hand-dug wells, and solar powered  boreholes.