Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
An expert in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Mr Bioye Ogunjobi has disclosed that one out of four Nigerians still defecates in the open places in the country.
Ogunjobi who is a WASH Specialist with the United Nations’ Children Fund (UNICEF) said this at a media dialogue in Kano.
Ogunjobi said 47million out of about 200 million Nigerians are practising open defecation and that the situation is worrisome as it constitutes danger to the lives of the people, especially the children.
The media dialogue with the theme “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet”, was organised by Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, (CRIB/FMI) in collaboration with UNICEF, the European Union and the Department for International Development (DFID/UKaid).
Ogunjobi warned that the situation must be addressed so that government would stop spending billions on drugs to cure diseases that could have been prevent through cleanliness.
Speaking at the meeting, UNICEF Communication Specialist, Dr Geoffrey Njoku appealed to journalists in the country to raise awareness of sanitation, particularly by sensitising the people on the benefit of using toilets.
Dr Njoku urged the participants to see themselves as ambassadors of sanitation and deploy their tools to educate people on the need to stop open defecation.
He said a deliberate campaign using hashtag #Endopendefecation #cleannigeria has been set up to sensitize people on the danger of open defecation and benefits of using toilets.
Dr Njoku said “this media dialogue was aimed at equipping journalists with facts and figures and other relevant information on the sanitation situation in Nigeria, especially the use of toilets.”
“It is also to coopt the media to join the clean Nigeria advocacy son as to enhance improved sanitation and end open defecation.”
“We want journalists to understand the link between sanitation, open defecation and child survival so that they can generate and publish human interest stories.
Dr Njoku urged journalists to do in-depth, incisive and analytical stories that would compelled Nigerians to desist from the practice of open defecation.
In his remarks, the Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture who is also the Head, Child Rights Information Bureau, Mr Olumide Osanyinpeju lauded UNICEF, EU and DFID for the their efforts in curtailing the practice of open defecation in Nigeria.
He said “It is a fact that UNICEF has been in the forefront of ensuring that we have access to safe drinking water supply, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene in our environment and communities. I therefore commend UNICEF, EU and DFID for advancing this cause to make life safe in our communities”, Osanyinpeju said.
