Jigawa Partners UNICEF To Sustain Open Defecation-free Status

The Jigawa State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has begun supporting rural communities in adopting climate-resilient toilets towards sustaining the state’s open defecation-free status.

The managing director of the Jigawa State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Engr Abdulkadir Sidi, stated this during a three-day training programme for selected Toilet Business Owners from across the state’s 27 local government areas held in Dutse, the state capital.

He stated that the training was designed to guide participants on the project’s objectives.
Engr Sidi explained that the programme is intended to engage communities in promoting personal and environmental hygiene throughout the state.

The managing director added that under the “Sanitation Vulture” initiative, the state government, through RUWASSA, will collaborate with communities to identify vulnerable and less privileged households to give them financial support to construct climate-resilient toilets in their houses.

According to the MD, the programme will be implemented in two pilot local government areas before the end of the year and will be scaled up to the remaining 25 areas by 2026.

“We are intervening to bridge the gap created by occasional toilets collapse due to flooding and other environmental factors, as such gaps forced some vulnerable people to resort to open defecation.

“We are optimistic that this intervention will also provide a model for other community members, particularly in rural areas, to adopt new techniques for toilet construction,” the MD stated.

While answering questions from journalists, the State WASH Facilitator for UNICEF, Mr. Ata Samuel, said that over 600 communities in the two pilot local government areas are targeted for the campaign and intervention.

He maintained that such community engagement and interventions will help sustain the progress Jigawa State has made as the first open defecation-free state in the country.