Development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders in the water sector have called on every individual to invest resources and commitment in ensuring that sanitation and hygiene become habits in the society while working towards achieving open defecation free by 2025.
They said this would promote healthy environment, protection, economic development and dignity as well as wellbeing of citizens.
This was the position at the 2022 World Toilet Summit organised by the Ministry of Water Resources in partnership with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH) and the World Toilet Organisation (WTO) which stated yesterday in Abuja.
According to them, loopholes in the sector, especially finance, has been part of the challenges to achieve the target.
Speaking during a panel discussion moderated by national coordinator, Organised Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, OPS-WASH, Dr Nickolas Igwe, on the topic ‘Scaling Sanitation Economy for National Development’, it was stated that 26% of the 3.6billion of people in Nigeria, Kenya and India lack access to safely managed sanitation as a result of low investment and collaboration from both government and stakeholders.
A panelist, Michael Adegbe, said combining resources would ensure cleanliness which in turn makes the environment safe for all.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, stated that the summit was targeted at high level decision makers, traditional and non-traditional sector and other stakeholders from across the world.
