Adamu: More than 48mln Nigerians Still engage in Open Defecation

Folalumi Alaran

The federal government claims that despite its effort to discourage open defecation, 48 million Nigerians continue to urinate in public places.

The Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu made this claim on Tuesday at the launch of the 2021 edition of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping III (WASHNORM III) report yesterday in Abuja.

During the unrevealing of the report, He also blamed state governments for the widespread of water crisis across the country.

However, he maintained confidence that the 2025 goal of eliminating open defecation in the nation was still feasible and stated that two states would soon be formally recognized as being open defecation-free.

The minister stressed that it was the obligation of the state governments to supply households with drinkable water, but he regretted that the majority of them had abdicated this role and were occasionally uncooperative when the ministry urged them to participate in joint programs.

According to the minister, boreholes and tube wells were the most popular sources of drinking water for houses, accounting for 37% of all households. Only 11% of households used pipe-borne water, and 4% had water piping into their homes.

The research, in accordance with the minister, also shows that a quarter of Nigeria’s population still relies on unreliable surface water supplies.

The Ministry of water resources was praised for the study by development partners and the Minister of State for Health, Olorunbe Mamora, who claimed it was essential for sector growth goals.