Oyo Govt, UNICEF Unite Against Open Defecation By 2028

Oyo State government, done the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), successful collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has reaffirmed its committedness to strengthening policies, organization frameworks and capableness gathering to accelerate entree to inclusive and sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services successful the state.

The committedness was renewed astatine a one-day roundtable connected the Oyo State Open Defecation Free (ODF) and WASH Campaign, organised by RUWASSA successful concern with UNICEF astatine the Ibadan Business School, Old Bodija, Ibadan.
Speaking, the Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, represented by Mrs Adebukola Akinwale, stressed that entree to harmless water, sanitation, and hygiene is not conscionable a societal work but a cardinal quality close and a cornerstone of sustainable development.

“The health, dignity, and productivity of our radical are straight linked to the availability and sustainability of WASH services. It is our corporate work to the government, improvement partners, the backstage sector, civilian society, and communities to physique an inclusive strategy that leaves nary 1 behind,” she said.
In his remarks, the president of RUWASSA, Alhaji Babalola Afobaje, raised interest implicit the precocious complaint of unfastened defecation successful Oyo State.

According to the 2021 WASHNORM report, 53.7% of the state’s colonisation inactive engages successful unfastened defecation, portion lone 29.2% person entree to basal sanitation services.

He described the signifier arsenic a nationalist wellness situation driving recurring outbreaks of cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid, peculiarly among children.

However, helium reaffirmed that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, successful concern with UNICEF, is determined to destruct unfastened defecation successful each 33 LGAs of Oyo State by 2028.

He besides listed ongoing interventions, including the rehabilitation and drilling of boreholes, the operation of solar-powered h2o facilities, and the proviso of sanitation facilities successful nationalist institutions crossed the state.

On her part, UNICEF WASH Manager, Mrs. Jolly Ann Maulit, presented a insubstantial connected “Unlocking the Potential of the Sanitation Economy”, she emphasized the value of backstage assemblage partnerships successful bridging the immense sanitation financing spread successful Nigeria, highlighting opportunities successful the toilet economy, circular sanitation system (recycling discarded into biogas, fertilizer, and cleanable water), and innovative sanitation system (technology-driven sanitation services).