Public campaign against open defecation begins in Abuja

The Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory has begun a
public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of open defecation in the
area.
Head of Environmental Department of the council, Mr. Tijani Ado, told
the News Agency of Nigeria in Gwagwalada on Tuesday that residents would
be sensitised against open defecation.
Ado said the campaign was necessary following the United Nation’s report
ranking Nigeria among the fifth countries globally where open defecation
was common.
“The UN report is correct. We see people not using toilets and
defecating in open places.
“We have started the campaign on health education on Friday.
“We have started going to villages with our vehicles, with public
address system to enlighten people about the sanitation activities and
the danger of not keeping the environment clean,” he said.
He said that the council was planning to build public toilets in
strategic and overcrowded places in the area under the Public-Private
Partnership arrangement.
“We have now located sites and we are trying to see how the drawing by
the department of works of the council would look like.
“Adverts would be placed and interested persons could apply for the
building of public toilets, while we will supervise,” he explained.
Nation Children’s Fund reveals Nigeria as one of the top five countries
in the world where many citizens prefer to defecate in the public.