FG Solicits Support From Religious Leaders To End Open Defecation

ABUJA – The Federal Government has solicited the support and assistance from the religious leaders to end open defecation in Nigeria by 2030.

Professor Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama.

Utsev explained that Open Defecation Free Campaign started in 2019, adding that the campaign has ensured that 142 Local Government Areas have attained Open Defecation Free Status.

According to him, “The Clean Nigeria Campaign, Use the Toilet,” is aimed at eradicating open defecation in Nigeria by the year 2030.

“This campaign actually started in 2019. The programme was flagged-off during the Federal Executive Council on the 8th of May, 2019.

“And the Executive Order 9 was signed on the 20th of November in 2019 to give effect to the commencement of this campaign.

“And by the coming in of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed, the Vice President, His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, is made the Chairman of the Steering Committee of this campaign.

“And progress has been made so far. Before the administration, there were 102 Local Government Areas that were open defecation free.

“But as of today, we have 142 Local Government Areas that are open defecation free, with Jigawa State, being the only State for now that is completely open defecation free.”

The Minister, therefore, appealed to the Catholic Church leadership to partner with
the Ministry to promote the campaign against open defecation.

He urged the religious leaders to incorporate the messages of open defecation as well as the need for good sanitary practices in their sermons.

According to him,”The church is the house of God and is the place where the good news is being propagated.

“There is the need to incorporate this message of open defecation into its public and spiritual engagements.

“By placing emphasis on the dignity of human life and the importance of caring for one’s neighbour.

“If you care for your neighbour, then you can’t defecate in the open because by the time you defecate in the open, you know that actually it’s going to have an adverse effect on our neighbour.”

“We are encouraging churches to keep and maintain their sanitation facilities as a model for the community.

“We are also encouraging parishioners through their preaching, through their messages of the church to promote behavioural change within their families, their communities, so that this will have a wider reach to both those that are living within the urban and those in the rural areas.”

He assured of the Federal Government’s willing to provide technical assistance to the church to enhance the promotion of the campaign.

Responding, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, commended the minister for visiting the church to create awareness.

Kaigama pointed out that all hands must be on deck to achieve open defecation status in Nigeria.

“We must work together, government and the church and faith based organisations, individuals, we must cooperate, if we must become a great nation.

“The government cannot do it alone. So this message from the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation is very crucial.

“It is a life-saving message. We need to live healthy and we need to take care of our environment.

“I can assure you of the total support of the Catholic Church in this. We are in this together.

“And I will also help in propagating this message as an individual, I will do so. And I will encourage my priests to also talk about this in their churches,” he assured.