Nigeria’s only open defecation-free state struggles with human faeces

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Wakili Abdu, 63, returned from his farm at sundown in Sabon-Gida, wanting uneasy. A couple of minutes later, he headed into the shrub behind his hut with a plastic kettle and hoe, gazed round, bent over, and pulled down his trousers.

When nature calls, Mr Abdu prefers to reply as his forefathers had taught him. He believes bathrooms are for ladies whereas the boys ought to defecate within the open.

“Utilizing bathrooms is a apply primarily for ladies. Even when bathrooms had been constructed, it’s primarily for ladies and youngsters. We [men] want going to the bush, which is our conventional perception,” he instructed DUBAWA as he settled underneath a tree in entrance of his home.

Mr Abdu’s reluctance to make use of a rest room just isn’t unusual in rural communities in Nigeria, the place long-held cultural beliefs promote open defecation, particularly amongst males. These traditions current a barrier to the efforts aimed toward eradicating open defecation in Nigeria.

In Sabon-Gida, a neighborhood in Kafin-Hausa Native Authorities Space (LGA) of Jigawa, the place he hails from, open defecation is a standard apply even though the Nationwide Process Group on Sanitation (NTGS) and the United Nations Worldwide Kids’s Emergency Funds (UNICEF) introduced your complete Jigawa as Nigeria’s first and solely Open Defecation-Free (ODF) state on 26 October 2022.

This announcement, broadly celebrated throughout the state, facilitated Governor Umar Namadi’s appointment as UNICEF’s ODF ambassador.

Earlier than the announcement, Ibrahim Hannungiwa, the state’s water sources commissioner, disclosed that Jigawa State had spent N500 million to construct bathrooms in public locations with assist from UNICEF.

Information from the Federal Ministry of Water Assets (FMWR) revealed that 48 million Nigerians, largely rural neighborhood residents, defecate within the open regardless of the Sustainable Improvement Targets (SDG) introduction. In 2016, the ministry, with UNICEF’s assist, launched a Nationwide Open Defecation Free Roadmap to finish open defecation in Nigeria by 2025. As of Dec. 2023, solely 117 out of the 774 native authorities areas (LGAs) in Nigeria have been declared ODF.

Whereas acknowledging its sluggish progress, the FMWR acknowledged that “Nigeria must construct about 3.3 million bathrooms per yr and obtain 224 ODF LGAs annually” earlier than it could meet its 2025 goal.

How was Jigawa declared ODF?

As outlined by the NTGS, ODF’s major indicator is that “all households in a neighborhood have a latrine with handwashing amenities.” Its secondary requirement is to supply water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) amenities in public locations like well being centres, colleges, and markets.

After that, “an LGA is introduced ODF when the Nationwide Process Group on Sanitation (NTGS) visits 20 per cent randomly chosen communities within the LGA and confirms that each one households, colleges, well being amenities, public locations, markets, and motor parks have latrines and handwashing amenities.”

Based on the NTGS, the 27 LGAs that make up Jigawa met these necessities. As reported by UNICEF, the state carried out a complete technique to attain the Open Defecation Free (ODF) standing, which included creating state and LGA-level roadmaps, declaring a state of emergency, and guaranteeing constant funding for WASH departments at LGA ranges.

The governor launched a marketing campaign to finish open defecation and established the Jigawa Open Defecation Award to encourage residents. He additionally strengthened collaboration with conventional leaders and enacted sanitation bylaws (at every LGA) that empowered the police and different safety forces to implement these legal guidelines, guaranteeing that violators of the open defecation ban had been held accountable.

In July 2024, lower than two years after the declaration, DUBAWA visited completely different communities throughout seven LGAs in Jigawa – Birniwa, Hadejia, Malam-Madari, Gwaram, Kiri Kasama, Kafin Hausa, and Guri – to confirm their ODF standing based mostly on these metrics.

‘We want meals earlier than the bathrooms’

In Sabon-Gida, the neighborhood head reported that roughly 200 of the two,300 households have native pit latrines, and 20 have concrete latrines, though DUBAWA didn’t independently confirm these figures. Native latrines are low cost; residents want to position two slabs throughout a pit and canopy the edges with mud.

Not like in Sabon-Gida, the place conventional beliefs discourage males from utilizing bathrooms, residents of Taljare Village in Birniwa LGA, no matter gender, want to make use of bathrooms. Sadly, no family in Taljare has a rest room.

Amadi Sule, the neighborhood head, attributed this to financial hardship. Whereas they may have used native pit latrines, most have collapsed because of the wet season. With the bush serving as a substitute, the neighborhood has stopped looking for different options.

“Nicely, we had them (bathrooms) earlier than, however they’re now collapsed because of the wet season as a result of we don’t apply cement on them. We want bathrooms, it’s simply that we can not afford them now. We wrestle to feed our households, to not construct bathrooms for them. Feeding is our precedence,” he mentioned.

Muhammed Bulama, the village head of Garin Ando village, Kiri Kasama LGA, mentioned solely about 50 out of 300 households have useful latrines, most of that are constructed utilizing native supplies. Mr Bulama defined to DUBAWA that the neighborhood opts for native bathrooms because of their low value. Whereas concrete latrines value round N100,000, the domestically constructed ones solely value about N10,000.

“As you could know, constructing bathrooms includes cash. Whereas persons are fighting the present financial turmoil, they’re on the lookout for methods to feed their households relatively than constructing bathrooms that we think about pointless. Most of these utilizing bush bathrooms are extraordinarily poor, however there are some with native clay ones which normally collapse or get full because of their poor situation,” he acknowledged.

Water collapses our latrines

All seven LGAs DUBAWA visited reported that their locally-built latrines ceaselessly collapse in the course of the wet season, forcing them to rebuild each six months. This downside is especially extreme in Karidu village, the place the topography causes groundwater to seep into the pits, most of which collapse in two months.

In 2023, WASH Jigawa State constructed an area latrine for every of the five hundred households in Karidu, Guri LGA. Nonetheless, Karidu’s waterlogged terrain implies that any try to dig a pit usually ends in the collapsing of the pit. Some residents tried burying jerrycans, however these shortly crammed up with out a correct evacuation plan. In consequence, the neighborhood has reverted to open defecation, with 400 of the initially put in latrines now collapsed.

“We’re soliciting the federal government to intervene by the supply of cement and different gadgets that may assist our bathrooms to final lengthy,” Maimuna Muhammad, a mom of 4, pleaded.

Wakili Kaigama, the village head, confirmed that residents want utilizing bathrooms for the privateness they supply. Nonetheless, they can not afford concrete latrines because of monetary constraints, as many are nonetheless struggling to satisfy fundamental wants. Regardless of its ineffectiveness, Mr Kaigama solicited jerry cans so as to construct lasting pit bathrooms.

Sensitisation with no enforcement

To kick begin its battle towards open defecation, the state authorities launched a state-wide marketing campaign and mentioned it had launched by-laws criminalising the apply in every native authorities. Residents confirmed the marketing campaign and the regulation’s enactment, with some reporting that they obtained numerous types of intervention. Nonetheless, after this preliminary push, the federal government’s presence pale, and so they have seen little to no additional motion. Residents confirmed that nobody has ever been arrested or penalised for defecating within the open. WASH officers fail to indicate this reporter the regulation being referred to and it isn’t publicly obtainable.

In 2021, the federal government performed a sensitisation marketing campaign in Gabasmari village, Birniwa LGA, the place residents beforehand noticed no purpose to construct bathrooms. Throughout the go to, officers educated the neighborhood on the risks of open defecation and offered detergents and kettles. This prompted some villagers to assemble native latrines, however like in different communities, many of those buildings have since collapsed.

Usman Galadima, one of many marketing campaign stakeholders within the village, mentioned the villagers initially adopted the end-open-defecation initiative however later deserted it “because of lack of assist from the federal government.”

The assistant village head, Muhammad Abubakar, mentioned the federal government launched a regulation towards open defecation and offered preliminary assist. Nonetheless, the initiative failed because of an absence of sustained effort, and folks reverted to open defecation.

“They solely sensitised us and offered us with detergents and kettles. I can guarantee you that if the federal government sustains its gesture, folks will embrace it and chorus from open defecation,” he famous.

Like Gabasmari, residents of Duleri, Taljare, Matamu, and Aljari in Birniwa LGA, Garin-Ando in Kiri-Kasama LGA, and Aji-Bukara and Karidu in Guri LGA, who reported comparable interventions, are actually confronted with the identical challenges.

As a part of the intervention efforts, residents of Matamu had been requested to pay N700 per family for the development of native pit bathrooms. Sanin Magini, the village head, mentioned no villager may afford it.

“I can allocate land for it, but when I’ve to pay, I don’t even have the cash. I may even allocate land proper now if somebody volunteers to construct it for me,” he mentioned.

Colleges are usually not exempted

Jigawa State, by UNICEF’s Sanitation Hygiene and Water in Nigeria (SHAWN) mission, put in a water facility for the Matamu Major Faculty. Nonetheless, the ability has stopped working. Likewise, parts of the female and male pit bathrooms have collapsed. Pupils have now resorted to defecating within the handwashing stations, behind the bathroom buildings, and within the school rooms’ yard. Sadly, DUBAWA couldn’t converse to any trainer as the college had closed for the day.

The circumstances at Taljari Major Faculty mirrored these at Matamu Major Faculty. Umar Sule, headmaster of Taljari Major Faculty, instructed DUBAWA that each one pupils defecate within the open, however he blamed the federal government for not offering sufficient upkeep.

“All of them go to the bush since there is no such thing as a rest room. They (the federal government) constructed the bathroom, however they ultimately deserted it. The bathrooms have now collapsed because of lack of correct sustenance,” he mentioned.

The scenario at Day Secondary Faculty Sabon-Gida can also be troubling, with pupils defecating in deserted school rooms as the college bathrooms are out of order.

At Matsaro Major Faculty in Hadejia (Hadejia LGA), solely the lecturers have functioning bathrooms, whereas college students are left to defecate behind their school rooms.

In Madachi, though the concrete pit bathrooms at Govt. Day Secondary Faculty stay useful, these on the major faculty have collapsed.

LGA headquarters enhance

The central communities of the seven LGAs visited have certainly improved on open defecation. Most homes are fashionable, not like the standard mud homes discovered within the villages. Moreover, many of those fashionable houses are outfitted with built-in bathrooms, and few folks with mud homes have made concrete pit latrines. However folks nonetheless defecate by the roadside, dump websites, and uncompleted buildings.

In Hadejia, personal rest room operators out there and motor park cost N50 for urination and N100 for defecation. Regardless of this, some folks nonetheless defecate by the roadside or throughout the market, a scenario additionally noticed in Malam-Madari, Malam-Madari LGA.

In Dutse, the state capital, DUBAWA witnessed a younger boy, Mustapha Waje, at “Examine Motor Park” flushing faeces right into a drainage meant for toilet water. The drainage, supposed to hold wastewater, has change into a makeshift rest room, with customers washing their faeces into the gutter behind. Though a business rest room that prices N150 is out there, cab drivers and others on the park want this apply.

On the newly constructed Malam Umar Maladi ultra-modern motor park in Guri, drivers have littered the bathrooms, rendering them unusable. In consequence, customers have resorted to relieving themselves within the surrounding space.

Hospitals face the identical problem

Not all of the communities visited by DUBAWA had entry to well being amenities. In some areas, residents needed to stroll as much as an hour to succeed in the closest healthcare providers. Nonetheless, Sabon-Gida and Matamu had been exceptions, as each had Major Well being Care (PHC) amenities. Sadly, like the faculties in these communities, the amenities’ bathrooms had been non-functional.

In Matamu PHC, the outside latrines and indoor water closets had lengthy been deserted. DUBAWA discovered the ability unattended, with nobody current to clarify the scenario.

Abdullahi Gamani, the Officer in Cost at Sabon-Gida PHC, defined that their pit latrine had developed a plumbing problem in April, which led to its full blockage.

‘‘The issue began three months in the past because of the pipe leakage between the bathroom bowl and soakaway. We even tried to repair it, however now we have but to attain that, which is why we blocked the bathroom. We don’t have a rest room, however now we have a gap the place folks can urinate and bathe. We want complete renovation.”

Upon assuming his position as Officer in Cost, Mr Gamani collaborated with neighborhood members to renovate the bathroom however realised the problem was past his capability.

Authorities officers converse

In Jigawa State, officers wrestle to take care of the Open Defecation Free (ODF) standing because of a number of challenges. Abba Tahir, a WASH facilitator within the state, famous that whereas progress has been made in altering behaviours, utilizing momentary latrines usually leads residents again to previous habits when these buildings fail.

“What I’m attempting to say is that if you happen to’re on the lookout for these areas that used to do that factor exterior, it’s quite simple. Any native authorities, you possibly can go to the ward. They’ve small villages, and so they have that type of perspective of doing the open defecation exterior,” he mentioned.

“The issue of sustainability is one thing. Once we did this mission, they used to name us and categorical their gratitude that issues had modified and their city was now clear. However sustainability is what issues. There’s no provision for constructing superior latrines that would last more for them. The village heads and family members are those who normally contribute to dig native latrines for themselves,” he added.

Corroborating DUBAWA’s findings, Isyaku Umar, WASH Coordinator for Birniwa LGA, famous that sustaining ODF standing has been difficult in some communities because of heavy rains which have brought on many latrines to break down. He talked about that Birniwa’s WASH division obtained N100,000 month-to-month for automobile upkeep from January to August 2024, supposed for monitoring visits. Nonetheless, residents say that they had by no means seen WASH officers of their communities after the preliminary sensitization.

Mr Umar additionally talked about that they often recruit native companions inside completely different communities, providing them N1,000 to assist with sensitisation efforts. Nonetheless, regardless of having a bylaw in place, they’re unable to implement penalties on these practising open defecation or households with out bathrooms. He attributed this to Nigeria’s financial hardships and the potential for violent resistance from residents.

“This time is a time that each particular person within the communities is on the lookout for what they’ll eat. They might not even hear, and you’ll’t drive them. That’s what we’re going by. It could actually result in bother if we attempt to punish somebody,” he mentioned.

Ado Isah, WASH Coordinator for Kafin Hausa LGA, maintained the identical narrative, saying offenders are usually not punished however solely inspired to undertake rest room use. He mentioned that open defecation is barely occurring in riverine areas and communities with flooding issues. Not like Mr Umar of Birniwa, he mentioned that they haven’t obtained the N100,000 for automobile upkeep for over two and a half years which is hindering their monitoring duty.

“No, folks there can’t be punished. We repeatedly advise them to make a latrine of their place. Typically, flooding demolishes the neighborhood, and folks transfer from one place to a different. They can not construct everlasting bathrooms. Different locations are nonetheless sustaining ODF apart from these with flooding challenges. They’re attempting to improve from native to concrete.”

DUBAWA’s a number of makes an attempt to succeed in Abubakar Sidi, the Appearing Director of the Rural Water Provide and Sanitation Company (RUWASA), Jigawa, had been unsuccessful. He didn’t return calls and messages.

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UNICEF speaks

Chiranjeevi Tiwari, UNICEF’s Officer in Cost of WASH, attributed the scenario in Jigawa to a slippage, the place communities initially meet ODF standards however regress because of components like inhabitants progress, migration, or rest room infrastructure collapse. He, nevertheless, promised to debate the issue with the UNICEF workplace in Kano State, noting that UNICEF solely helps the federal government with sources and never particular person households.

Mr Tiwari additionally famous that UNICEF’s restricted sources haven’t been targeted on Jigawa because it was declared open-defecation-free. He emphasised that sustaining ODF standing is the duty of the state and native governments in Jigawa.

“Typically, if the donor funding to, let’s say, Jigawa has ended, we would not have an intensive programme in Jigawa. That’s the problem we even have as a result of our sources are additionally restricted. We deal with the areas the place the work must be executed. As soon as the work is completed, it’s the duty of the federal government to maintain it in order that it doesn’t actually slip again or it doesn’t fall down,” he mentioned.

‘ODF certificates may very well be withdrawn’ – Ministry of Water Assets

In an interview with DUBAWA, Okpara Chisoma, the nationwide coordinator for Open Defecation on the Federal Ministry of Water Assets and Sanitation, additionally addressed the priority of slippage in Jigawa’s open defecation-free standing. She expressed disappointment, saying,

“It’s actually disheartening that an entire lot of labor has been executed attempting to sensitise and all that, after which simply when you’ve got been declared open defecation free, we’re listening to that.”

Whereas Ms Chisoma confirmed {that a} sustainability dialogue is ongoing, she confused the necessity for steady monitoring and neighborhood involvement, highlighting that the state, native authorities, conventional rulers, personal sectors, and media are accountable.

“So once more, we have to maintain it, and the one approach to maintain it’s to make sure that it’s adopted up bumper to bumper, by the native authorities, by the state, in our mosques, in our church buildings, after which guaranteeing that it’s occurring. Numerous duty rests on them to maintain what has been achieved,“ she mentioned.

When requested how the ministry handles instances of slippage, Ms Chisoma defined that the Nationwide Process Group on Sanitation (NTGS) has a “nationwide verification and certification protocol” that mandates periodic assessments after areas are declared open defecation-free. She famous that the open defecation certificates may very well be withdrawn if the standing just isn’t sustained.

DUBAWA additionally contacted Adeyemi Ajose, the Officer in Cost of NTGS. He declined an interview, saying that each one requests must be channelled by the Ministry of Water Assets.