Combating open defecation

By Yusuf Olukolu

 

SIR: According to the 2018 National Outcome Routine Mapping (NORM) Report, 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation. In other words, one out of four Nigerians engage in open defecation. Nigeria is said to lose N455 billion (US$ 1.3b) annually due to poor sanitation.

Open defecation is the human practice of defecating or excreting outside rather than making use of the toilet. It involves defecation in street gutters, behind bushes or open bodies of water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), open defecation contaminates sources of drinking water and spreads diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. W.H.O estimates that inadequate sanitation causes 432,000 diarrhea deaths annually.

Apart from the horrible city smell and spread of communicable diseases like polio, typhoid fever and hepatitis, open defecation poises serious danger to society and those practicing it are prone to attacks by wild animals while defecating in bushes.

Essentially, the act of open defecation is an environmental degradation and abuse of nature, sometimes referred to as “shot put” by Nigerians. Some people find ease in doing this because of the accessibility of these open spaces. So, even with existence of public toilets some people would rather opt for roads, bushes or gutters.

Lagos, being the centre of excellence, one would expect that open defecation should not be on the list of environmental pollution in the state, but some environmental defaulters have made this hard to achieve, as the act is being perpetuated on a daily basis. With a tissue paper or sachet of pure water at hand, they only need to find a “perfect” space to release their waste.

Unfortunately, this inappropriate behaviour has blighted the environmental advancement efforts of the government. The horrible smell that emanates from some parts of the city, where this act is being practiced, is such that can put off potential investors.

Regrettably, there has been an increase in the percentage of open defecation even with the existence of public toilets. According to the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, over 310 public toilets constructed by local governments as well as 600 private public toilet operators and 140 public toilets had been registered to reduce open defecation in the state. These public toilets are located in strategic areas to serve the needs of the people across the state.

The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has stepped up the rehabilitation of some public toilets that are in bad state across the metropolis and more public toilets are being built in collaboration with private sectors. Also, eateries and filling stations in Lagos are mandated by the law to make their toilets clean and available for public use.

Could the problem be nonchalant attitude of the people to environmental hazards or intentional pollution of the environment? The rate at which open defecation is carried out is quite alarming, despite the existence of laws and regulations against these acts.

Considering its environmental impact, the Sanwo-Olu’s administration has intensified efforts to eradicate open defecation in Lagos State. In 2020, a task force on open defecation was inaugurated on the directives of Governor Sanwo-Olu. One of the many ways to reduce this practice should be to sensitize and persuasively get communities to understand the health and economic consequences of defecating openly. There should be a mass awareness and attitudinal change campaign for all Lagos residents. The media should also play a leading role in highlighting the dangers involved in the practice.

The government should reinforce all the relevant agencies such as Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) to check these acts, adopt new methods and pass laws that are more restrictive. More sanctions should be imposed on those caught defecating openly.

All hands must be on deck to curb this shameful practice. Lagosians should endeavour to make collective efforts to end open defecation in Lagos for a healthier environment and good image of the metropolis.

• Yusuf Olukolu,

Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.