Abuja: Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for urgent and coordinated efforts to expand access to safe sanitation across the country, warning that poor sanitation continues to threaten public health and economic growth. Shettima made the call on Monday in Abuja at the maiden National Sanitation Conference themed ‘Accelerating Sanitation for All’. He was represented by Mrs Inna Binta-Audu, Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, millions of Nigerians still lack safely managed sanitation services despite progress in recent years, and inadequate facilities continue to expose communities to avoidable health risks. The Vice President noted that open defecation remains a major concern, fueling outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea, and cited a World Bank report estimating Nigeria’s annual economic loss from poor sanitation at N455 billion.
He emphasized the Federal Government’s initiatives in the Nigerian WASH Sector, highlighting significant results over the years. Key initiatives include the declaration of a State of Emergency, the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Revitalisation of the Sector, and the launch of several programmes such as the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), SchoolWASH, and HealthWASH. The Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme and the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign aim to end open defecation nationwide.
Monitoring has improved through the WASHNORM survey, with capacity-building programmes introduced in training institutions to develop artisans and strengthen sanitation service delivery. Shettima highlighted that 158 Local Government Areas have now achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, with Katsina recently becoming the second ODF-certified state after Jigawa. He urged others to emulate this achievement. Declaring the conference open, the Vice President called for intensified efforts from state and local governments, the private sector, development partners, and citizens, stressing that collective action is essential to achieve SDG 6.2 and build a healthy, productive nation.
Earlier, Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, described the gathering as a milestone in Nigeria’s sanitation agenda, aimed at promoting public health, safeguarding citizens’ dignity, and advancing national development. He stressed the importance of sanitation as a cornerstone of human development and a key determinant of national prosperity. The conference, convened under President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, provides a national platform for dialogue, innovation, and partnerships among diverse stakeholders.
Ebele Okeke, WASH Ambassador for Nigeria, called for sustained collaboration and innovation to expand safe sanitation nationwide. She highlighted the success of the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign in community mobilization, partnerships, and behavior change, urging participants to use the platform to share best practices and accelerate progress toward an open defecation-free Nigeria by 2030. Okeke emphasized the importance of sanitation for human dignity, public health, and national development, particularly for women, children, and vulnerable groups.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Head of Service, the Ministry of Education, and WASH development partners. The conference featured plenary sessions on strengthening sub-national governance, coordination, capacity for sanitation, and unlocking private-sector investments and financing.