The Kano state government says it has eliminated the act of open defecation in twenty six (26) local government area of the state.
The executive governor of Kano state Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf stated this at the commemoration of the World Toilet Day 2024 which was celebrated on 19 of November each year organized by Kano state ministry for environment and climate in collaboration with the United Nations International Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF) held in Kano on Tuesday.
Yusuf represented by the state commissioner of health Dr. Abubakar Yusuf Labaran said the state government has renovated fifteen (15) toilets at motor parks, markets, and public places in the state.
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According to him, the state government has on time and time again sensitized the general public on the effects of open defecations, the need to ensure clean environment and free from communicable diseases.
“Our administration is committed to ensuring adequacy and availability of toilet facilities across the state, we have renovated fifteen (15) toilets in markets, motor parks and public places. We Kano state government in collaboration with community leaders and UNICEF have been engaging in behavioral changes toward open defecation, the development that led to eradication as well as declaring 26 LGAs open defecation free local government in the state,” said Governor.
“In Urban beautification and development, we have revived refuse management and sanitation board REMASAB to full operation and procure two (2) set of pay loaders, ten (10) number of refuse collection trucks and repairing of the existing ones,” Yusuf said.
He commended development partners, self-help group, traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders for supporting the state government in reaching the place that it is today.
In his remarks, the state commissioner for environment and climate change Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo said the state government has been engaging with all stakeholders to ensure sustainability of existing toilets and construction of new once to eradicate open defecation in the state.
According to Garo, all the relevant MDAs under the ministry and other sister agencies in the state will continued to work together to ensure adequacy and collective maintenance of all the toilets in the state.
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Also speaking, the chief of UNICEF Field office Kano Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah congratulate the government and people of Kano state for achieving open defecation free status for another eight (8) LGAs totaling to twenty-six (26).
“This is a momentous achievement, but the job is not done just yet. Kano state Government, LGAs, communities and all stakeholders must sustain the momentum to ensure that the remaining 18 LGAs in Kano state that have yet to eradicate open defecation take urgent action to do so, and thereby contribute to the goal of making Kano state and indeed Nigeria open defecation free by 2025. It is a laudable goal, however with your support your excellency, in collaboration with stakeholders and concerted efforts at changing behaviors, it can be achieved within the given timeframe,” said UNICEF chief.
“Kano has made progress with the construction and use of toilets in the eight LGAs we are celebrating today. However, the remaining 18 LGAs yet to end open defecation include the bulk of urban LGAs in Kano, and we need to act and do more to get these LGAs achieve this lefty goal as well,” he said.
The theme of this year world toilet day is “Toilets: A Place for Peace.”