UNICEF: More than 95m Nigerians lack access to sanitation facilities

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says more than 95 million Nigerians lack access to sanitation services.

Olusoji Akinleye, the coordinator and officer in charge (OIC) of the UNICEF field office in Enugu, spoke on Tuesday at a media dialogue to mark the “2024 World Toilet Day”.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Toilets: A place for peace.”

Akinleye said the sanitation situation in Nigeria needed more government interventions.

He said 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation, including 18 million children and 95 million others without access to basic sanitation services.

“Also, 70 percent of schools without access to basic sanitation services (91,000 schools); 88 percent of health facilities without access to basic sanitation (~27,600 health facilities),” NAN quoted Akinleye to have said.

He added that 80 percent of markets and motor parks in the country are without access to basic sanitation and blamed insufficient funds for continued open defecation (ODF) in Nigeria.

“Only 17 percent (134 out of 774) LGAs have achieved ODF, with nine percent of successes in UNICEF-supported states,” he said.

“Federal commitment declined since 2023, resulting in stalled ODF initiatives.”

He said approximately N168.75 billion is needed annually to eradicate ODF, adding that only N15 billion has been committed to it from 2018 to 2022.

Speaking at the event, Rebecca Gabriel, a wash specialist at the UNICEF Enugu office, said all the states in Nigeria can achieve ODF before 2030 SDGs.

She called on governments to provide more funds for the eradication of ODF.

“Toilets should be built in schools and other public places to reduce ODF,” Gabriel said.

“Everyone must be involved, including government and public-spirited individuals, so we can achieve zero ODF in every state of Nigeria.”