…25% Nigerians Engage In Open Defecation
By Chioma Umeha
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has
said that Nigeria needs not less than $8 billion(N2.88 trillion) annual
investment in water and sanitation to attain the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) by 2030, according to World Bank figures.
Mr. Zaid Jurji, Chief of UNICEF’s Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) Nigeria, who disclosed this lamented that less
than 10 per cent of Nigerians have access to safe water, while 90 per cent have
no access to safe drinking water.
Decrying the impact of unsafe water and poor
sanitation to every parts of human life, particularly, the development and
survival of children, alerted that if Nigeria continues with the slow progress,
the country may fail to achieve the SDG Goal 6 by 2030.
Speaking on the overview of water, sanitation and
Hygiene situation in Nigeria during a two-day ‘Media Dialogue, on Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Jos, Plateau State,’ Jurji called for more
serious budgeting allocation to WASH, adding that if Nigeria should triple its
investment to a minimum of 1.7 per cent from the current 0.6 per cent GDP, it
would meet the SDG by 2030.
“The country will only beat the target by making
an investment of $8 billion annually until 2030. Sanitation and water has a big
impact on health, economy, and children and to everything that influences
lives.”
He further explained that 88 per cent of diarrhea
cases worldwide are linked to unsafe water, a scourge which remains second
killer of children, adding that $1 dollar investment in water and sanitation will
bring back $25 dollar benefits.
Speaking on the hygiene situation in the country,
the UNICEF scribe disclosed that the recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey
released for 2016/207 showed that 25 per cent of Nigerians defecate in the
open; a situation he said, was more than Canada population.
“Nigeria is now second in global open defecation,
while countries like India are making progress, if the slow progress continues,
Nigeria may not achieve the SDG
2030.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, Olumide Osanyinpeju, Deputy
Director, Child Right Information
Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Abuja, noted that Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene is very important in the life of a child as the Sustainable Development Goal 6, SDG 6, clearly
emphasized the importance of clean water and sanitation.
“Water is essential for the survival and
development of all children. Without water, children simply cannot stay alive
or thrive in a healthy environment. Water resources, and the range of services
they provide, strengthen poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental
sustainability.
Osanyinpeju further said that research has also
shown that regular hand washing with soap can reduce the incidents of diarrhea,
a deadly disease to children.
He
said: “Sanitation is
essential to the survival and development of children. Open defecation is
incredibly dangerous, as contact with human waste can cause diseases such as
cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, polio, diarrhea, worm infestation and under
nutrition. We must double our current efforts in order to end open defecation
by 2030.”
“Simple Hygiene such as hand washing can save
lives. Good hygiene practices reduce the incidence of diseases such as
pneumonia, trachoma, scabies, skin and eye infections and diarrhea-related
diseases like cholera and dysentery.”
He commended UNICEF for being in the forefront of
ensuring access to safe drinking water supply, adequate sanitation and proper
hygiene in Nigeria communities.
On his part, Engr. David Wuyep, Plateau State Commissioner
for Health, who declared the conference open, said UNICEF has continued to
assist the State in providing adequate water for residents, adding that not
less than two local governments have been given a borehole by UNICEF.
Wuyep restated State Government’s commitment to
providing counterpart funding needed to improve water, sanitation and hygiene
in the state.
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