The Bauchi State Government in partnership with the United Nation Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in over 1,400 Communities in Bauchi local government.
Adamu Sabo, General Manager of the Bauchi State’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) said efforts to eliminate open defecation in the State have yielded results with ODF status.
Speaking to journalists in Bauchi, Sabo said this makes Bauchi the ninth LGA in the state to achieve ODF status, joining Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro, and Katagum LGAs.
According to him, the ODF campaign has been achieved with the support of the UNICEF, which played a critical role in providing technical and financial assistance.
He said that through partnership with RUWASSA, UNICEF facilitated community sensitization, capacity building, and the establishment of sanitation structures across the state.
He added “We engaged with all the communities. Over 1,400 in Bauchi LGA alone. We visited, facilitated discussions, and helped them understand the dangers of open defecation. Once they realized the health risks, they collectively decided to construct improved latrines and end open defecation.”
He said community mobilization, particularly through traditional and religious leaders, has been instrumental in sustaining these efforts.
“Advocacy between traditional and religious institutions has been key in helping communities understand the dangers of open defecation and take collective action,” he noted.
To ensure the sustainability of the status, Sabo said RUWASSA has also partnered with Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs) to provide soft loans for households to build improved toilets.
These loans, according to him, are disbursed through Toilet Business Owners (TBOs), who also ensure proper latrine construction.
In addition, the introduction of sanitation by-laws penalizes defaulters and reinforces compliance with hygiene standards.
He added that the campaign relies heavily on community engagement and the establishment of local structures such as WASH Committees (WASHCOMs), Village-Level Operation and Maintenance teams (VLOMs), Local Area Mechanics (LAMs), and Volunteer Hygiene Promoters (VHPs).
Sabo further explained that despite this progress, the campaign to end open defecation faces persistent challenges, particularly in driving behavioural change and ensuring the sustainability of the new hygiene practices.
He highlighted the complexities of the campaign, noting that getting residents to abandon long-standing habits of open defecation is a time-consuming process.
In his remark, the Chairman of the Toilet Owners and Operators Association in Bauchi LGA, Ibrahim Kabo, emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in the campaign.
Kabo noted that they aimed to build public toilets at 150-meter intervals within the metropolitan areas, stressing that the real challenge is sustaining the status. He called on district heads, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to support the ongoing efforts.
“The government has done its part by spending money and raising awareness. Now, it is up to the people to sustain the ODF status through consistent use of improved sanitation facilities and good personal hygiene,” he said.
