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Federal government has commenced campaign against open defecation among school teachers, pupils and communities to safeguard public health and foster environmental sustainability in Kwara state.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a three-day training programme on Campaign Against Open Defection: Sanitation and Hygiene Awareness for teachers, pupils and communities organized by the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, and
conducted by the Synergy Impact Consultant Limited, Ilorin, the managing director of the authority, Dr. Adeniyi Saheed Aremu, said that
the campaign was aimed to bring together and train the key stakeholders on various aspects of sanitation and hygiene.
Dr. Aremu, who said that open defection poses significant health risks in the society, added that the risks include spread of water borne diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, diarrhea amongst others.
In a bid to end open defecation by 2025 in Nigeria, Dr. Saheed Aremu said the training is to educate people to serve as ambassador of the authority, adding that participants will collect health packs at the end of the training.
Also speaking, the Director Planning and Design in the authority, Engineer Rasheed Oyedeji, charged the participants, particularly, community representatives to transfer knowledge gathered to members of their various communities to make the environment green and clean.
In her submission, one of the facilitators and consultants of Synergy Impact Consultant Limited, Dr. Afusat Ameen, said about 120 million Nigerians have poor access to basic sanitation facilities while 25% have poor access to save water, saying that is part of what the campaign is addressing
Dr. Ameen said organizing the training is timely, acknowledging the management of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority and Synergy Impact Consultant Limited for the job well done.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Synergy Impact Consultant Limited, Otunba David Babalola, appreciated the federal government and Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority for the training, adding that it will go a long way to curb open defecation in the state.
The highlight of the programmes is distribution of eight modules and presentation of certificate of participants at the end of the three- day training programme on Campaign Against Open Defection: Sanitation and Hygiene Awareness for Teachers, Pupils and Communities which started on Wednesday 23/10/2024 and ended on Friday 25/10/2024.
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