Open Defecation: 47 Million Nigerians Urged To Embrace Proper Hygiene Practices

In a concerted effort to combat open defecation, critical stakeholders in the health sector have called on 47 million citizens who still practice the menace to adopt proper hygiene practices.

This is even as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation (FMWRS), alongside various stakeholders including the private sector, is intensifying its campaign to end open defecation by 2025, urging Nigerians to take personal responsibility for maintaining clean environments.

The director of Water Quality, Sanitation, and Hygiene at FMWRS, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh told me that an alarming figure of 47 million Nigerians still practicing open defecation, while stressing the urgent need for behavioral change, particularly in rural communities where access to toilets remains a significant challenge.

“Open defecation poses a severe risk to public health, contaminating water sources and contributing to the spread of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea,” Ugoh said. “Ending this practice requires a national movement of people committed to embracing proper hygiene and sanitation.”

While the government, private sector, and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are putting structures in place to ensure every community in Nigeria has access to toilets, the director said this effort should be complemented with proper hygiene practices, including regular handwashing and avoiding defecating in the open.

UNICEF’s chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Jane Bevan, emphasized the importance of collaboration and sustained effort to change behaviors. “Ending open defecation in Nigeria will not be possible without the collective commitment of every individual. It is about more than infrastructure—it’s about changing habits and improving health outcomes for millions of Nigerians,” she stated.

Bevan revealed that India is winning the war against open defecation through massive awareness campaign in schools and hospitals etc; “To have the same impact in Nigeria, we need to keep it at the forefront of people’s minds. I should not be going outside to defecate. I should be using the toilet; I should be washing my hands. This needs to be exposed so that we can all work together to eradicate open defecation in Nigeria,” Bevan added.

With the 2025 deadline of eliminating open defecation fast approaching, stakeholders are calling for all Nigerians to participate in this nationwide effort. Community leaders, parents, and teachers are urged to educate their families and communities on the importance of hygiene and the health risks of open defecation.