Lagos begins use-the-toilet campaign, promises more mobile lavatories

By Dada Jackson

The Lagos State Government has commenced the ‘Use the toilet’ campaign, an initiative to curb open defecation, stating that over 600 private and public toilet operators have been registered in addition to construction of over new 140 public toilets.

In addition to already constructed public toilet facilities, the state government will be placing mobile toilets in strategic locations across the state.

It also intends to upgrade already existing toilet facilities to encourage patronage  and partnership with donors, individuals and corporate organisations in the management and maintenance of these facilities.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, said these, maintaining that the celebration brought to the front burner issues such as water, sanitation and hygiene.

Bello, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Service, Mrs Aderonke Odeneye, said the theme for the year 2020 World Toilet Day, “Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change”, was apt and served as a reminder of the importance of sustainable sanitation process, alongside clean water and hand washing facilities.

He explained that it would also help protect and maintain health security and stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and the most recently COVID-19  ravaging the entire world and threatening human existence.

The commissioner said the flag-off of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign” was in furtherance of efforts to ensure that all public places such as schools, hotels, fuel stations, places of worship, market places, hospitals and offices have accessible toilets within their premises for public use.

He stressed that the attitude of the citizenry in the usage and maintenance of the facilities had been very poor.

Bello also emphasised that the state government had constituted a special task force tagged Anti-open Defecation Gang on Open Urination and Defecation across the state to arrest and arraign defaulters before a magistrates’ court for prosecution.

He enjoined Lagosians to join the state crusade of attaining a cleaner, healthier, functional and sustainable environment, capable of promoting economic growth and well-being of the entire citizenry.

The Country Manager, Reckitt Benckiser, Asif Hashimi, said the company was elated to partner with the Lagos State Government to change the face of toilet in Nigeria.

He said the stigma of the rating of Nigeria as the first on the list of open defection could be fought in unison for a better and healthier environment, calling on the general public, public toilet operators, individuals and corporate organisations to come on board to embark on aggressive sensitization campaign.

The representative of the Commissioner and special guests later officially handed over the rehabilitated toilets located in Onigbongbo Park.