By Abigael Joshua

The Federal Government has called for intensified efforts to end the global sanitation crisis, with about 4.5 billion people lacking access to safely managed sanitation and 892 million still practising open defecation.

Malam Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a ministerial news conference to commemorate the 2026 World Toilet Day.

Lawal, represented by Mrs Omotunde Adeola, Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry, said inadequate sanitation remained a major public health and environmental challenge in Nigeria.

He said this year’s theme, “Sanitation and Gender Equality”, with the tagline, “Safe Toilets. Equal Futures”, highlighted the importance of secure toilets, access to soap and water, and adequate menstrual hygiene facilities.

The minister said the global statistics underscored the urgency of accelerating efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those on clean water, sanitation, gender equality and good health.

He identified markets, motor parks, schools and communities as among public places still lacking adequate and functional toilet facilities, contributing to open defecation and environmental pollution.

Lawal said poor sanitation encouraged contamination of food and water sources and increased the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ending open defecation and promoting gender equality through improved access to safe, dignified and sustainable sanitation facilities.

According to him, safe sanitation was essential to protecting the health, safety and dignity of women and girls, while promoting their participation in education, employment and public life.

He said women, girls, children, older persons and persons with disabilities were affected by inadequate sanitation facilities.

The minister stressed that no child should miss school because of poor toilet facilities and no woman or girl should compromise her safety and dignity due to inadequate sanitation.

To address the challenges, Lawal said the ministry was collaborating with relevant ministries, state governments and development partners to promote safe excreta disposal and improve sanitation nationwide.

He listed the interventions to include training Environmental Health Officers on faecal sludge management and toilet design, as well as integrating sanitation into climate adaptation and circular economy initiatives.

Others included the Clean and Green Programme, Community-Based Waste Management and Open Defecation Control Programme, and partnerships with private sector operators to provide environmentally friendly sanitation facilities.

He said the campaign would engage residents, traders, food vendors and other community members on proper sanitation, hand hygiene and safe waste disposal through discussions, health talks and practical demonstrations.

The minister announced plans to convene a National Dialogue on Faecal Sludge Management on Nov. 23, involving seven selected states across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the dialogue would enable participating states to share experiences, assess challenges and interventions, and develop actionable recommendations for sanitation planning, implementation and monitoring.

Lawal also announced a community engagement and sensitisation campaign at Kpadna Community, Utako, Abuja, on Nov. 19, as part of the commemoration.

He added that World Toilet Day would be commemorated simultaneously across all states through community sensitisation, advocacy campaigns and sanitary inspections of public places.

He called on state and local governments to strengthen faecal sludge and wastewater management through environmentally sound collection, transportation, treatment, disposal and reuse systems.

The minister urged households and communities to embrace proper toilet use, personal hygiene, handwashing and environmental cleanliness, while encouraging private investors to support affordable sanitation technologies.

He also called on development partners, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups to sustain advocacy, public education and infrastructure development, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.

Similarly, Dr Salihu Usman, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the UN General Assembly designated Nov. 19 as World Toilet Day in 2013 to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis and promote action towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal Six.

Usman, represented by Mrs Rita Okea, Deputy Director and Head of Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry, said access to adequate sanitation remained a major challenge globally and in Nigeria.

He said the challenges disproportionately affected women and girls, particularly in schools, workplaces, public spaces and underserved communities.

Okea explained that the absence of safe, accessible and private toilet facilities could compromise their health, safety, dignity and participation in everyday activities.

She urged journalists to use the opportunity to amplify the message that safe and inclusive sanitation was fundamental to gender equality, public health and sustainable development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) found that 20 per cent of Nigeria’s household population practised open defecation, while 49 per cent used at least basic sanitation services.

The survey also revealed a disparity between urban and rural areas, with 63 per cent of the urban population using at least basic sanitation services, compared with 38 per cent of the rural population.

NAN further reports that World Toilet Day is observed annually on Nov. 19 to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis and mobilise action towards ensuring access to safe toilets and sanitation for all.

The World Toilet Organisation initiated the observance in 2001, before the UN General Assembly officially designated Nov. 19 as World Toilet Day in 2013 through Resolution 67/291.

The annual observance promotes efforts to end open defecation, improve hygiene and expand access to safe and adequate sanitation facilities. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade