WaterAid Hands Over User-friendly Model Toilet To Bauchi Govt 

WaterAid Nigeria has said it remained resolute in its partnership with the Bauchi State government and communities to bring inclusive sanitation services to everyone in the state and Nigeria.

According to the WaterAid Nigeria’s country director, Evelyn Mere, her organization together with the Bauchi State government would build a future where access to a decent toilet is not a privilege, but a guaranteed right for all.

Director Evelyn Mere spoke yesterday in Bauchi while handing over a User-friendly Toilet Reference Model to the Bauchi State Government as part of the activities marking the World Toilet Day 2024 Commemoration.

Represented by the head of the programme, Nanpet Chuktoz, the director explained that WaterAid Nigeria has been steadfast in advocating for and implementing solutions that meet the needs of all men, women, children, persons with disabilities, and those in crisis-affected areas.

She said, “From commissioning female- friendly toilets in Lagos schools to piloting inclusive, climate-adaptable user- friendly toilet models for marketplaces and motor parks in Bauchi, our work highlights the power of collaboration to deliver sustainable change”.

“In Bauchi, a groundbreaking public toilet model designed in partnership with communities through a user-centred design approach process and endorsed by the state government is being commissioned today”.

The country director further explained that the toilet is specially designed to meet the needs of users of all ages and gender with features to ease usage especially for women, girls, and Persons with Disabilities.

“These features include wide doors, handrails and ramps for wheelchair users, well secured doors, separate entrances for men and women, a platform for nursing mothers to change their babies’ diapers. Across the country, these interventions are proof that inclusive design, local engagement, and climate adaptation can work together to address the sanitation crisis”.

She told the 2024 World Toilet Day Commemoration with the theme, “Sanitation for Peace” that over half of the Nigerian population lacks access to a decent toilet, saying “This stark reality compromises health, hinders economic growth, and denies millions their right to dignity.”

Evelyn Mere noted that the urgency to address this challenge cannot be overstated, especially as the effects of climate change amplify vulnerabilities, leaving fragile water sources increasingly polluted and sanitation systems overwhelmed.

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, in a message to the occasion, said that the handing over of a climate-resilient, user-friendly toilet facility constructed by WaterAid Nigeria is not only an opportunity to reflect on the state of sanitation globally but also to celebrate the progress they have made collectively in improving public health and hygiene in their communities.

Represented by his deputy, Auwal Mohammed Jatau, he expressed his gratitude to WaterAid International for its invaluable support in making the project a reality and commended its dedication and commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people of Bauchi State.

BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi

WaterAid Nigeria has said it remained resolute in its partnership with the Bauchi State government and communities to bring inclusive sanitation services to everyone in the state and Nigeria.

According to the WaterAid Nigeria’s country director, Evelyn Mere, her organization together with the Bauchi State government would build a future where access to a decent toilet is not a privilege, but a guaranteed right for all.

Director Evelyn Mere spoke yesterday in Bauchi while handing over a User-friendly Toilet Reference Model to the Bauchi State Government as part of the activities marking the World Toilet Day 2024 Commemoration.

Represented by the head of the programme, Nanpet Chuktoz, the director explained that WaterAid Nigeria has been steadfast in advocating for and implementing solutions that meet the needs of all men, women, children, persons with disabilities, and those in crisis-affected areas.

She said, “From commissioning female- friendly toilets in Lagos schools to piloting inclusive, climate-adaptable user- friendly toilet models for marketplaces and motor parks in Bauchi, our work highlights the power of collaboration to deliver sustainable change”.

“In Bauchi, a groundbreaking public toilet model designed in partnership with communities through a user-centred design approach process and endorsed by the state government is being commissioned today”.

The country director further explained that the toilet is specially designed to meet the needs of users of all ages and gender with features to ease usage especially for women, girls, and Persons with Disabilities.

“These features include wide doors, handrails and ramps for wheelchair users, well secured doors, separate entrances for men and women, a platform for nursing mothers to change their babies’ diapers. Across the country, these interventions are proof that inclusive design, local engagement, and climate adaptation can work together to address the sanitation crisis”.

She told the 2024 World Toilet Day Commemoration with the theme, “Sanitation for Peace” that over half of the Nigerian population lacks access to a decent toilet, saying “This stark reality compromises health, hinders economic growth, and denies millions their right to dignity.”

Evelyn Mere noted that the urgency to address this challenge cannot be overstated, especially as the effects of climate change amplify vulnerabilities, leaving fragile water sources increasingly polluted and sanitation systems overwhelmed.

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, in a message to the occasion, said that the handing over of a climate-resilient, user-friendly toilet facility constructed by WaterAid Nigeria is not only an opportunity to reflect on the state of sanitation globally but also to celebrate the progress they have made collectively in improving public health and hygiene in their communities.

Represented by his deputy, Auwal Mohammed Jatau, he expressed his gratitude to WaterAid International for its invaluable support in making the project a reality and commended its dedication and commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people of Bauchi State.