23m Nigerians Gained Access To Improved Sanitation — VP Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that an estimated 23 million Nigerians gained access to improved sanitation between 2019 and 2024 under the ‘Clean Nigeria’ Campaign, describing the progress as proof of what coordinated national effort can achieve.

Shettima stated this on Wednesday at the 6th anniversary of the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ Campaign and the 2025 World Toilet Day commemoration in Abuja.

Represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Mrs Inna Binta Audu, the Vice President said the campaign, launched in 2019, has grown from an idea into a nationwide movement with over 150 local government areas and thousands of communities now verified and declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). He added that two states have attained state-wide ODF status.

“With millions of toilets constructed through public, private, and community efforts, an estimated 23 million Nigerians have gained access to improved sanitation between 2019 and 2024 in the course of this campaign. And millions more have been reached through sustained advocacy and behaviour-change campaigns across the states,” he said.

The Vice President emphasised that the achievements recorded are not abstract but indicators of hope and partnership. However, he noted that “millions of Nigerians still defecate in the open,” stressing the need for renewed coordination, energy and accountability to meet the revised national target of ending open defecation by 2030.

Shettima announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the revised Presidential Executive Order 009 on Open Defecation-Free Nigeria, which is now being gazetted. The new Order strengthens the legal and institutional framework for WASH delivery, enhances private sector participation, and introduces tougher monitoring, reporting and enforcement mechanisms.

“It reaffirms that access to sanitation is not a privilege but a fundamental human right,” he said, adding that improved sanitation is central to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Vice President said the government continued to prioritise Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) because of their impact on disease reduction, school attendance, gender dignity, and community resilience.

Speaking on the 2025 World Toilet Day theme, “Sanitation in a Changing World,” Shettima said climate change, urbanisation and population growth are placing new pressures on sanitation systems across the country.

“Our approach to sanitation must evolve,” he said, calling for climate-smart sanitation models, resource recovery, improved waste treatment, and the adoption of innovative technologies for toilet expansion and monitoring.

He commended state governments, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, development partners, community volunteers and private sector actors for their “outstanding commitment and innovation” in driving the campaign.

The goal of an open defecation-free Nigeria by 2030 is ambitious but achievable. A cleaner Nigeria is not beyond our reach. It is within our grasp if we work together, Shettima said.

Earlier, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said 158 local government areas have now been verified ODF under the campaign.

He announced that Katsina State recently became the latest state to attain state-wide ODF status, joining others in leading the national sanitation drive.

Utsev highlighted improvements in sanitation access nationwide, including increased toilet availability in homes, schools and public spaces.

He said the ministry has strengthened coordination across national, state and local levels, and deployed the Clean Nigeria Campaign Real-Time Information Management System to ensure transparent tracking of progress.

He noted that the campaign’s success is tied to recognising sanitation as a development priority that affects health, education, productivity and the dignity of women and girls.

“Let this anniversary rekindle our resolve. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier and more dignified Nigeria for all,” Utsev added.

The event brought together federal and state officials, development partners, civil society groups, and sanitation advocates.