With Cross River State having five local government areas certified open defecation free (ODF) out of ten in the entire country, the state seems to be on the path to be the first to be declared ODF in the entire country.
The local government areas in the state that have so far been declared so are Bekwarra, Obanliku, Yakurr, Ikom and Yala. They were certified ODF and under the Community Led Health Improvement though Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (CHISHPIN) project and Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) programme.
At separate ceremonies to celebrate of the attainment of the open defecation free (ODF) status by Yala and Ikom in the respective areas recently, Director General of the Cross River State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWATSSA), Sir Ita Ikpeme, said the aim was to ensure that the entire 18 local governments if the state are declared ODF.
He said the government was committed to sanitation and hygiene and would do all it can so support them.
Project Manager of the CHISHPIN Project, Mr Oliver Okon, said ODF means every household and institution has ended the practice of open defecation, they have constructed and use basic and improved facilities.
He said with this the people were beginning to enjoy the benefits of living in an open defecation free environment which is characterised by improved health and wellbeing, increased socio-economic activity, reduced school absenteeism and a dignified life.
He said CHISHPIN is a 1.6 million pound project to cover three LGAs (Biase, Ikom and Yala) in a three-year sanitation and hygiene intervention, with the aim of facilitation everyone to have access to sanitation and end open defecation thereby reducing diarrhea prevalence especially among children under five.
He said the project, which has United Purpose as the executing agency, was funded by the United Kingdom though the UKAID Direct Impact Project.
Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleman Adamu, however regretted that despite the efforts put in so far, 47 million Nigerians are currently practicing open defecation, making it the country with the highest number in Africa and second in the world.
Adamu said more than two-third of the population is without access to basic sanitation facilities.
He said while the country has made significant progress in the provision of safe water supply in the past decade, which has contributed to the socio-economic development and poverty reduction, the same could not be said of sanitation of hygiene.
The Minister, who was represented by Engr Emma Eze, said though there is a roadmap to eliminate open defecation in the country by 2025 which was launched in 2016, the operationalization of the roadmap has been slow.
He said through the implementation of the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach by sub-national governments and partners, 10 local governments in the country have so far been certified ODF, out of which Cross River has five.
Programme Manager of United Purpose, Nanpet Chuktu, expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the success and urged the communities who attained the status to also work towards sustaining it.
The head of local government administration of both local governments expressed gratitude and promised to work hard to sustain the status.
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