In a bid to promote a healthier Kwara, the Kwara State Government has called on Local Government Chairmen and Council officials to take decisive action in their jurisdictions to eradicate open defecation across the State.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Usman Lade Yinusa, made this statement during a one-day Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Stakeholders Engagement meeting with Chairmen and their Directors of Personnel and Management.
The meeting, organized by the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), focused on the theme “Eradication of Open Defecation in Kwara State” ¹.
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Christiana Omolola Ashonibare, the government is fully committed to addressing the health needs of citizens through sensitization programmes across all local government areas.
RUWASSA’s General Manager, Mr. Olorunfemi Adewumi Oladipo, commended Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq for prioritizing citizens’ health. He noted that RUWASSA has made significant progress in the fight against open defecation through collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and other development partners.
Six communities in Oke Ero Local Government Area have been certified as open defecation-free through RUWASSA’s interventions. The Agency aims to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by expanding sanitation infrastructure, promoting behavioral change, enforcing policies and regulations, and fostering partnerships for sustainability.
The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, underscored the serious health, environmental, and socio-economic consequences of open defecation. She called for the establishment of WASH departments at the local government level and urged the Chairmen to ensure compliance in their areas.
According to UNICEF, over 120 million people in West and Central Africa engage in open defecation, with Nigeria ranking second globally, with 47 million cases.
Afolabi Temple Olushola Olaide
Press Secretary
RUWASSA
