Ekiti leads in open defecation in Nigeria – UNICEF/EU

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and European Union (EU) at the weekend said that Ekiti State leads other states of the federation in open defecation. The international organizations said 1.8 million Ekiti residents out of a total population of 2.7 million are engaged in open defecation, thereby contributing about 60.8% to the aggregate of […]

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and European Union (EU) at the weekend said that Ekiti State leads other states of the federation in open defecation.
The international organizations said 1.8 million Ekiti residents out of a total population of 2.7 million are engaged in open defecation, thereby contributing about 60.8% to the aggregate of this menace nationally.
The disclosure was made during a 2-day media networking and alliance building workshop organized by the European Union/UNICEF on Water Sanitation and Hygiene and Open Defecation Free campaign held at  Ijero Ekiti, Ijero Local Government area of Ekiti State.
In one of the leading papers presented, a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) facilitator and a staff of Rural Water Sanitation Agency in Ekiti, Mrs Lanre  Ayeni, said it was regrettable that 1.8 billion people still use contaminated sources of water, which she said has caused a lot of damage to their health and body systems.
She said, “When you take water that has been contaminated by faeces, the person will have ten million viruses, one million bacteria and one hundred thousand parasite eggs in her body system. Advocacy for open defecation free in Ekiti and good water sanitation is yielding results. Enforcement in the past by CLTS coordinators had failed  , what we now use is persuasion and people are gradually changing their perception about this concept.”
The UNICEF/EU delegation, led by Mohsena Islam,  a WASH specialist from UNICEF, went on a field trip with Ekiti Media WASH group to Asasa and  Temidire Olojofi farm settlements in Aramoko Ekiti,  to assess compliance with the campaign against open defecation.