Osogbo drowning in Open Defecation

Nigeria is second only to India in number of open defecation cases in the world. In communities around Osogbo, the Osun State capital, open defecation is causing huge threats to sanitation and health, as our correspondent reports.   A visitor to Ajape, Alaasan, Oyefe, Onto, Idi-Omon, Abidogun, Akogun and Ajegede communities around Oleyo area in Osogbo, […]

Nigeria is second only to India in number of open defecation cases in the world. In communities around Osogbo, the Osun State capital, open defecation is causing huge threats to sanitation and health, as our correspondent reports.

 

A visitor to Ajape, Alaasan, Oyefe, Onto, Idi-Omon, Abidogun, Akogun and Ajegede communities around Oleyo area in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, would find it difficult to fathom how the residents survive in such a disease-prone environment.

The stench from faeces deposited all over the place greets a v

isitor to these communities. Most of the homes here do not have toilets and residents, old and young, male and female, including the children have taken to indiscriminately defecating in the open.

The situation is causing worry for many members of the communities, who say they are helpless and have resigned themselves to the situation.

Pa Lasisi Adeyemi is one of the community leaders in the area and he hates dirt but after all his efforts to prevent open defecation in the area failed, he said he no longer bothers himself.

“We are helpless, that’s why we are looking at it and living with it,” he said. “We tried to stop people from defecating here but they refuse to stop. In fact, we fought them and did all that we could, but we couldn’t stop them. That’s why we leave everything to God.”

Madam Safuratu Fasaasi, a housewife in the area lamented that the situation is unbearable but she has nowhere else to go to.

“We are tired of this. When they defecate here, right in front of our house, we have no option but to clean it. Before long, another set of people will come and defecate there again. It is very bad. We tried to stop them but they won’t stop,” Safuratu said.

Many other residents are concerned about their water as the wells, the primary water sources in the communities, are in the open where people defecate.

Several people who spoke with Daily Trust said their children usually fall sick because of the environmental pollution due to the indiscriminate defecation.

The cost of treating the illnesses are high and with no guarantees. Some cases have resulted in deaths, according to residents, who are appealing for help from the government.

The immediate past Commissioner for Health of Osun State, who is currently the State Supervisor in charge of the Ministry of Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu said open defecation is very common in Osun State and described it as a bad habit that must be discouraged.

He noted that the state has developed a policy to make open defecation a crime and prescribed punishment for whoever engages in the practice.

“It is not a good habit. It is common among the people. Osun State government in collaboration with UNICEF built toilets in many parts of the state to discourage the practice of open defecation,” he said. “It poses danger to our heath, especially the children. Open defecation could cause helminths or parasitic worms and the effects would be chronic blood loss, heavy parasitic worms which can lead to malabsorption of nutrient. This could make children to fall sick and lead to school absenteeism. We are spending huge sums of money to de-worm the children to ensure good health for them. Whereas, such monies could have been spent judiciously on other things that would benefit all of us productively. Therefore, our people must desist from the practice of open defecation.”

The immediate past Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mr Korede Idowu said Osun is in accord with the national policy on open defecation.

He also said “under our Public Health Law, whoever openly defecates commits a crime and the punishment is N50,000 fine and the person would also be compelled to build a toilet in his house and begin to use it.”

Apparently, the people around Oleyo in Osogbo might be ignorant of the law on public defecation but even if there are not, without toilets, there is little difference that can be made.

Of course, the case of those communities around Oleyo in the state capital pales compared to the similar situations in many other communities across the state, particularly the rural areas. Osun is not alone in this problem. In fact, it is a nationwide problem and it is worse in many states.

According to findings from the 2018 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) survey, 24 percent of Nigeria’s population (47 million people) are practising open defecation. Also, findings reveal that Nigeria ranks second amongst countries practicing open defecation globally. Therefore, there is urgent need to tackle this menace given the fact that open defecation has serious economic, social and health effect on the people.

A Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Mr Bioye Ogunjobi said Nigeria loses about 1.3% (N455 billion) of GDP annually due to poor sanitation and a third of that cost is as a result of open defecation.

He said more than 100,000 children under five years of age die each year due to diarrhoea, of which 90 percent is directly attributed to unsafe water and sanitation.

He said Nigeria is the second country with the highest children’s deaths due to diarrhoea. “This has impact on child development. In fact, 1 in 4 children under five years of age in Nigeria exhibits severe stunting, while one in 10 children is wasted, due to frequent episodes of diarrhoea and other Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) related illnesses. He said frequent episodes of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene related diseases cause low productivity among the people in which children would miss school and adult would be absent from work, as affected people take time off to heal, and some to take care of a sick relatives,” he said.

The Head of Child Rights Information Bureau in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr Olumide Osanyinpeju in a chat with Daily Trust pleaded with Nigerian to cultivate the habit of using toilets and desist from practising open defecations because of its attendant risk and consequence on human health, especially on the children.

Osanyinpeju said the federal government would not relent in the campaign to end open defecation in the country.

“To address this situation, President Muhamadu Buhari declared a state of emergency in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in November 2018 and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to eliminating open defecation in the country.

“The president launched a national campaign to jump-start the country’s journey towards becoming Open Defecation Free (ODF) nation by 2025,” he said.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources with support from UNICEF, in partnership with Inter-Ministerial Agencies, Civil Society Partners, the Private Sector, and the people of Nigeria, is currently leading the ODF campaign to end open defecation in the country by 2025, and achieve universal access to safely manage sanitation by 2030.

“‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ campaign is one of the most ambitious behaviour-change campaigns in Nigeria with a strong citizen / public engagement component. Leveraging on what is currently working in the states with local government areas’ certified Open Defecation Free; this campaign mode will create a national movement with elements of policy advocacy, public advocacy, grassroots mobilization, and private sector engagement,” he said.

“Sanitation is essential to the survival and development of children. It can reduce the severity and impact of malnutrition. It can also help in reducing the spread of intestinal worms, as well as promoting dignity and boosting safety, particularly among women and children,” he added.

A communication specialist with UNICEF, Dr. Geoffrey Njoku urged the media to step up reportage of issues around sanitation and to sensitize the people on the need to shun open defecation and imbibe use of toilets. Dr Njoku urged the media to create awareness on the benefits of cleanliness and the dangers of open defecation to peoples’ health and wellbeing.

Proffering solution to end open defecation in Nigeria, Ogunjobi said the nation needs two million toilets per year between 2019 and 2025 to get the 47 million Nigerians to use toilets so as to achieve the target of Universal Basic Sanitation. He said Nigeria would reap huge benefits if government could stop the practice of open defecation.

“Based on empirical study, every naira invested in the water and sanitation sector results in economic benefit ranging from N1,080 to N12,240 ($3 to $34). The gains come through savings in healthcare costs, increased productivity, and entrepreneurial opportunities for the sanitation market,” he said.