Water Ministry, NOA begins Campaign to End Open Dedication

Water Ministry, NOA begins Campaign to End Open Dedication

The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu FNSE, FAEng and the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari on 25^th August, 2020 in Abuja held a joint Press Briefing to kick start the implementation of the National Sensitization Campaign Programme on the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ Campaign.

In his address, Engr. Adamu went down the memory lane to inform his audience that the National Programme to end Open Defecation in Nigeria tagged “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” Campaign was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in May, 2019. The campaign was initiated to address the unfortunate position Nigeria found herself as the country with the highest number of persons defecating in the open globally.

Ending open defecation in Nigeria Engr. Adamu said is not just about access to toilets, it is about generating demand for toilets and changing people’s behaviour regarding toilet usage. “the Clean Nigerian campaign is a transformational and behavioural change campaign which seeks to mobilise high level political support, resources and the entire populace towards building a new culture of safe sanitation.”

The clean Nigeria Campaign is aimed at implementing the National Roadmap towards making Nigeria Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2025 strategy document and was launched and flagged off by the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on 19^th November,2019 while President Buhari signed the Executive Order 009 on Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2025 and other Related Matters on 20^th November 2019, to give greater impetus to the campaign.

The Honourable Minister noted that the role of National Orientation Agency as organ of Government charged with the mobilization and sensitization of Nigerians on government programmes and activities is highly recognized, bringing about the collaboration that will leverage on the nationwide structure of NOA through the Communication Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMOs) who will be engaged in the dissemination of the key messages of the Clean Nigeria Campaign.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of NOA, Dr. Garba Abari said the “sensitization campaign which takes off by the end of this week is aimed at achieving behavioural change while improving access to good water and sanitation hygiene practice as a way of reaching the goals of the Open Defecation Free National Plan.”

He added that his Agency will work with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources “in line with the charge of President Buhari to ensure that all public places including schools, hotels, fuel stations, places of worship, market places, hospitals and offices have accessible toilets and latrines within their premises.”

Kenechukwu Offie (Mrs.)

Director (Information)