Nigeria’s ambition to eradicate open defecation by 2025 has failed, with over 48 million citizens still practising it, raising fresh concerns that the revised 2030 target may also slip out of reach.
The consequences are dire: cholera and diarrhoea kill more than 100,000 children annually, while the practice drains an estimated ₦455 billion from the economy each year through healthcare costs and lost productivity.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), only 9 per cent of households have access to basic sanitation services, while the majority particularly in rural areas struggle with either inadequate or poorly maintained toilets. The North-Central region records the highest prevalence, followed by the South-West, despite repeated government pledges to tackle the menace.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that open defecation continues to undermine Nigeria’s progress in health, nutrition, and economic development. “It poses a grave public health threat and calls for urgent investment in sanitation,” said UNICEF’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate.
Although the Federal Government launched the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign and declared a state of emergency in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, experts say political declarations have rarely translated into action. In many states, including Lagos, Enugu, Rivers, Benue, and Niger the practice remains widespread. Only Jigawa has attained an Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status.
Health, Safety, and Environment specialist, Omowumi Olatunji, stressed that the practice not only spreads disease but also strips citizen especially women of dignity and safety. She called for stronger collaboration between government and NGOs to build accessible public toilets and intensify awareness campaigns.
Similarly, public health expert Olaide Balogun noted that children under five are the most vulnerable due to their weak immune systems. He urged the government to “take sanitation more seriously,” enforce existing laws, and expand access to hygiene facilities.
In Lagos, despite the availability of over 5,000 public toilets, open defecation persists in areas such as Agege, Oshodi, Mushin, and Lekki. Authorities have begun prosecuting offenders, while the state government has partnered with WaterAid and private operators to construct 350 additional public toilets targeting over 10 million residents.
Delta, Oyo, and other states are also stepping up enforcement and awareness campaigns. Jigawa, which has achieved ODF status, is now working to sustain it through monitoring committees.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, while launching the revised Clean Nigeria Campaign Strategic Plan in 2024, pledged to end open defecation nationwide by 2030, declaring that access to toilets is “a matter of dignity, health, and safety for all Nigerians.”
However, with sanitation infrastructure still grossly inadequate and enforcement inconsistent, experts warn that unless urgent steps are taken, millions of Nigerians may continue to face the health and social consequences of poor sanitation well beyond 2030.
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