… Despite progress, you’re still far from success – UNICEF WASH Specialist
… Only 140 out of 774 LGAs have met target
… Oyo step up grassroots engagement
By Chioma Obinna
At the break of dawn in Araromi Aperin, a quiet community on the outskirts of Oyo State, the air tells stories most people would rather not hear. Until a few years ago, open defecation was a morning ritual here, an act born not of choice, but of necessity.
Today, that narrative is changing, thanks to a determined blend of community will, government engagement, and UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), campaign.
Across Nigeria, though the practice still exists, change is slow but steady. From Lagos to Katsina, the journey toward ending open defecation is one of struggle, resilience, and hope.
Nigeria’s sanitation struggle
Open defecation remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenges with far-reaching implications for public health, dignity, and development.
According to the 2023 WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) report, over 46 million Nigerians still defecate in the open, making the country among the highest globally in this regard. Despite government and partner efforts, only two states, Jigawa and Katsina, have been declared open defecation-free (ODF) to date.
“If we have only two states that have been declared open defecation free out of our 36 plus FCTAbuja, then you can see how far we are. We are still very far,” said Mr. Monday Johnson, UNICEF’s WASH Specialist.
“In terms of how many local governments have been declared, or the number of states that have keyed into the ODF plan and are implementing, there are still states that have not even started the programme.”
Out of the country’s 774 local government areas, just about 140 LGAs have achieved ODF status. That leaves a long way to go before the national target of ending open defecation by 2025, as declared in the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign launched in 2019. But Nigeria’s sanitation challenge is not only rural. Rapid urbanisation is stretching city infrastructure beyond capacity. As of 2023, 54.3 percent of Nigerians about 123.7 million people now live in urban areas, up from 29.7 percent in 1990. Yet only 25.4 percent of urban residents have access to safely managed sanitation, and more than 150 million people still lack basic sanitation services.
In many fast-growing cities like Ibadan, Onitsha, Kano, and Uyo, overcrowded slums and unplanned settlements make it nearly impossible to build toilets or manage waste safely.
“Urban sanitation is our next big crisis,” said Mr. Monday Johnson, WASH Specialist at UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office. “Rural areas are improving, but cities are falling behind.”
For UNICEF, which works closely with federal and state governments to implement the WASH programme, the mission goes beyond sanitation; it is about dignity, child health, and sustainable development. “UNICEF’s role in Nigeria or any country is to work with governments to ensure that the best interests of the child are protected,” Johnson told Vanguard. “Anything that supports a child’s growth and development from education to sanitation is our priority.”
He explained that WASH is central to children’s health and survival because diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid are often linked to poor sanitation and unsafe water. “Children are more susceptible to WASH-related infections because their immune systems are not fully developed. That is why hygiene and sanitation are key,” he added.
How community took charge
However, Araromi Aperin in Oyo State tells a story of what is possible when leadership meets commitment. Known for its determined Royal Highness, Oba Mudasiru Obisesan Alararomi, the community rallied around the call to end open defecation.
In the view of the Deputy WASH Coordinator, Ona Ara LGA, Mr Jimoh Adetona, when facilitators from UNICEF and the state WASH team first arrived, they were welcomed not with scepticism but with open arms. The Oba hosted the visiting team, provided accommodation, and even helped mobilise his people.
“Before, our people didn’t understand why open defecation was dangerous,” Adetona recalled. “But now they know it brings sickness, and everyone is happy to have their own toilet.”
Through community-led sanitation, a participatory approach that empowers residents to take ownership of their sanitation, Araromi Aperin became a model for nearby communities. Initially, it was only the palace that had about 22 toilets until the Oba issued a royal directive mandating every household to build a toilet.
The Oba explained that to encourage his citizens to build a toilet, they introduced a soft loan, and then, to construct the government-subsidised low-budget toilets cost about N65,000. Households are allowed to pay the initial fee of N17, 000 while they rally round to assist one another in the construction to lessen the burden since the majority cannot afford it.
Today, most households have toilets, and children no longer suffer frequent diarrhoea or skin infections linked to open defecation.
Nine out of eleven wards in the local government have already been certified ODF, with the remaining few in more densely populated peri-urban areas where sanitation challenges are complex.
According to a teacher, Mrs Omolara Oyelude at one of the community’s primary schools, Islamic Mission School, the health and attendance of pupils have improved remarkably.
“Before now, children often fall ill or missed classes. But since we got toilets, that has changed,” she said. “Our enrolment jumped from 40 to 80 pupils. The girls, especially, no longer stay home during their periods.”
She, however, expressed concern over the lack of teachers to cope with the growing number of pupils. “The community has taken over the borehole, but we need more teachers to handle the increase. Still, we are grateful our children are healthier and happier.”
Road to certification
According to UNICEF’s WASH Specialist, becoming open defecation-free is not an overnight achievement. It is a structured process anchored on community participation, government validation, and national oversight.
Johnson explained: “A community first claims to have stopped open defecation. The local government verifies this claim, after which the State Task Group on Sanitation conducts another round of checks. Once confirmed, all communities within the local government must be certified ODF before the National Task Group on Sanitation can validate the entire LGA.
“At the state level, when every local government has been validated as ODF, the national team officially declares the state open defecation free. This system ensures accountability and sustainability, but it also demands coordination and funding — two areas that often slow progress.”
Urban sanitation challenge
As Nigeria urbanises, the sanitation burden is shifting. The urban population is growing by over 3.5 percent annually, creating a mismatch between people and infrastructure. Lagos, Kano, Ibadan, and Abuja are among Africa’s 15 fastest-growing cities — yet many still depend on unsafe containment systems or open defecation.
In Oyo State, only 8 of its 351 wards are certified open defecation-free, and over 1.5 million households still lack safely managed sanitation. Studies show that just 3 percent of excreta is safely captured and disposed of, while the rest contaminates water sources and worsens disease outbreaks.
Despite these challenges, progress is possible. UNICEF and partners have helped the state review its WASH policy, construct solar-powered boreholes, and train local artisans and sanitation officers. The state is now piloting Citywide Inclusive Sanitation, CWIS, an approach that integrates safe containment, emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse of waste, ensuring that everyone, including slum dwellers, has access to safe sanitation.
“Urban sanitation demands new thinking,” Johnson noted. “We can’t rely on rural models for city settings. We need citywide systems that are affordable, resilient, and inclusive.”
Funding and structural gaps
While progress has been recorded, major gaps persist, especially in funding and institutional structure.
Johnson observed that sanitation and hygiene are often underfunded compared to water supply projects.
“If you invest N10 million in water, you can point to a borehole and show results immediately. But the same amount spent on behavioural change in sanitation takes longer to show,” he explained. “That makes it a hard sell for governments.”
A 2024 assessment in Oyo State revealed no designated institutional lead for urban sanitation, unclear roles among agencies, and zero percent budget releases for urban WASH. The absence of coordination mechanisms between RUWASSA, the Ministry of Environment, and LGAs weakens accountability and service delivery.
Johnson emphasised the need for specialised WASH units with their own budgets and trained staff.
“Behavioural change must be continuous. Without funding and dedicated personnel, progress will remain slow,” he said.
Sanitation as an economic opportunity
Beyond public health, sanitation represents a multi-billion-naira opportunity. In Oyo State alone, analysts estimate a N 75 billion sanitation economy if market-based sanitation models are fully developed.
By combining tariffs, taxes, and transfers, states can attract private investment into faecal sludge management, treatment, and reuse. However, households can currently afford to pay only about N15,000 for safe services — far below the real cost of N 50,000 to N 76,000 per household.
Bridging this financing gap through public-private partnerships, subsidies, and micro-credit schemes could create jobs and boost local economies.
“The private sector must see sanitation as a viable market, not just a social service,” Johnson said. “With the right incentives, sanitation can be both sustainable and profitable.”
Case for Citywide inclusive sanitation
Experts agree that Nigeria’s next frontier in WASH lies in Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) — a holistic framework that ensures safe management of human waste across the entire service chain, for everyone, everywhere.
CWIS promotes gender equity, public health, and environmental sustainability while strengthening urban resilience to climate impacts like flooding and drought. It also aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All.
For states like Oyo, where 52 percent of LGAs still practise open defecation and only 10 percent of faecal waste is safely captured, CWIS offers a path toward sustainable, inclusive sanitation that leaves no one behind.
“CWIS isn’t just about toilets — it’s about systems,” Johnson concluded. “When sanitation works, cities work.”
March toward a clean future: Nigeria’s march toward a clean, open defecation-free future may be slow, but it is steady. The gains in communities like Araromi Aperin show what’s possible when citizens, traditional leaders, and governments work together. The fight against open defecation is no longer just a rural one. As cities expand, sanitation must evolve from toilet construction to full systems — containment, treatment, and reuse — that safeguard health and dignity.
As the country prepares to mark World Toilet Day on November 19, the message from UNICEF and its partners is clear: sanitation is not just about infrastructure — it is about dignity, equity, and the future of every Nigerian child.
“For us women,” said Mrs. Taiwo Adebisi, a mother of four in Araromi Aperin, “having a toilet at home means safety and pride. Our daughters no longer go into the bush, and we no longer fear for their health or dignity. It has changed our lives.”
For Oba Araromi and his people, the journey continues, one household toilet at a time.
The post Toilet by toilet, Nigeria battles to end open defecation appeared first on Vanguard News.
