To mark World Toilet Day, the Ogun State Government has formally criminalized open defecation and urination as part of its attempts to fulfil Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Every year on November 19, the World Toilet Day is observed.
The year’s campaign, titled ‘Toilets – A Place for Peace,’ aims to emphasize how broken or inadequate sanitation systems influence people’s lives and how sustainable sanitation is critical to a healthy and stable community.
The initiative, which launched in 2019, aims to end open defecation across the country by 2025.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of open defecation, with over 46 million individuals doing it.
On Tuesday, Commissioner for Environment Ola Oresanya revealed plans to criminalize offenders while installing four new public toilets fitted with biodigesters in border villages along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, including Berger, Isheri, Warewa, and Magboro.
The freshly constructed toilets bring the overall number of public facilities in the region to 20, while the state total currently stands at 80.
The facilities, according to the commissioner, would eliminate open defecation and make Ogun a defecation-free state.
Oresanya noted that criminalising open urination and feces signals the start of stringent enforcement tactics and harsh consequences for violators.
He underlined that this project would not only help to achieve SDG Goal 6, but it will also boost the state’s scenic beauty and citizens’ general well-being.
He said:
“This is a significant step towards making Ogun State open-defecation-free. It aligns with our commitment to SDG 6, ensuring water accessibility, proper sanitation, and hygiene for all.
“The enforcement of this law, coupled with the provision of public toilets, will promote a cleaner and healthier environment for all residents.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng
