Oyo State government, through the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening policies, institutional frameworks and capacity building to accelerate access to inclusive and sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in the state.
The commitment was renewed at a one-day roundtable on the Oyo State Open Defecation Free (ODF) and WASH Campaign, organised by RUWASSA in partnership with UNICEF at the Ibadan Business School, Old Bodija, Ibadan.
Speaking, the Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, represented by Mrs Adebukola Akinwale, stressed that access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is not just a social service but a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of sustainable development.
“The health, dignity, and productivity of our people are directly linked to the availability and sustainability of WASH services. It is our collective responsibility to the government, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and communities to build an inclusive system that leaves no one behind,” she said.
In his remarks, the chairman of RUWASSA, Alhaji Babalola Afobaje, raised concern over the high rate of open defecation in Oyo State.
According to the 2021 WASHNORM report, 53.7% of the state’s population still engages in open defecation, while only 29.2% have access to basic sanitation services.
He described the practice as a public health crisis driving recurring outbreaks of cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid, particularly among children.
However, he reaffirmed that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, in partnership with UNICEF, is determined to eliminate open defecation in all 33 LGAs of Oyo State by 2028.
He also listed ongoing interventions, including the rehabilitation and drilling of boreholes, the construction of solar-powered water facilities, and the provision of sanitation facilities in public institutions across the state.
On her part, UNICEF WASH Manager, Mrs. Jolly Ann Maulit, presented a paper on “Unlocking the Potential of the Sanitation Economy”, she emphasized the importance of private sector partnerships in bridging the huge sanitation financing gap in Nigeria, highlighting opportunities in the toilet economy, circular sanitation economy (recycling waste into biogas, fertilizer, and clean water), and innovative sanitation economy (technology-driven sanitation services).
