As Nigeria set to host the 2022 World Toilet Summit, the minister of water resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, has said that the global event will enhance Nigeria’s capability towards ending open defecation by 2025.
The minister, who stated this yesterday at a press briefing in Abuja, described the forthcoming summit as a perfect opportunity to mobilise national engagement in the sector by different stakeholders, especially the private sector.
Recall that the National Campaign to End Open defecation was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on May 8, 2019 with the aim of mobilising all strata of the society in fighting the menace of open defecation.
Expressing the country’s commitment to ending open defecation, Suleiman noted that
in the past six years, 85 local government areas have been declared open defecation free in the country.
“It is noteworthy that in 2017 we had only one local government area that is open defecation free. As at today we have 85, local government areas certified open defecation free.
“We are not resting on our oars as we will continue to work tirelessly in ensuring that all the 774 LGAs in the Country are open defecation free,”he said.
The minister further stated that there are huge potentials from sanitation
when delivered as a service, saying it will encourage the creation of sanitation products, building of toilets, establishments of mega utilities, treatment plants, medium and small entrepreneurs at the community levels among others.
In her welcome address, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, said the summit is expected to enable participants, exhibitors and other stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector, have wider range of vision within the sanitation value chain.
The World Toilet Summit with the theme ‘Towards Sanitation Innovations for Economic Development’, scheduled to take place on the 18th and 19th November 2022, in Abuja.
Nigeria will be the second country in Africa to host the summit.
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