The Bauchi and Gombe state governments have intensified enforcement of environmental sanitation and hygiene regulations to prevent disease outbreaks and protect public health.
They have also adopted proactive monitoring measures to promote compliance with hygiene and sanitation standards among food handlers, markets and grocery stores.
Stakeholders—including environmental, health and government officials, as well as residents—shared their views in separate interviews in Bauchi, Dutse and Gombe.
Mr Mohammed Saleh, director of inspection at the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), said the agency had deployed 500 environmental health inspection officers across the state’s 20 local government areas.
He said the deployment was intended to strengthen enforcement through routine inspections of regulated and unregulated premises and ensure compliance with environmental health standards.
Saleh said inspections covered restaurants, schools, bakeries, water factories and other food-handling establishments. Officers assessed the cleanliness and arrangement of utensils, food-storage facilities and general hygiene practices.
Food handlers are required to undergo medical examinations at approved health facilities and display their medical certificates for customers to see, he said.
“We also have health inspection officers at the abattoir who conduct post-mortem examinations on meat and animal organs.
“Where any defect with a potential health risk is detected, the affected meat or organs are condemned and destroyed,” he said.
Saleh said food and fruit vendors were also monitored to ensure they complied with hygiene standards.
Residential inspections focused on drainage systems, water points and the distance between water sources and septic tanks, he said.
“Water sources and septic tanks must maintain a minimum distance of 30 metres to prevent underground contamination,” he said.
Mahmud Bose, the agency’s director-general, said BASEPA had adopted enforcement measures to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
He said alleged offenders were first issued notices and warnings, while persistent violations could lead to prosecution before an environmental mobile court.
Penalties depended on the severity of the offences, Bose said, adding that the agency used non-custodial sentences. Under this approach, offenders could be required to perform community service for one hour a day for 30 to 40 days.
He said Nigerian Correctional Service officials supervised offenders, while fines were also imposed depending on the nature of the offences.
Bose identified poor attitudes towards environmental sanitation and a shortage of inspection personnel amid the state’s growing population as key challenges.
Meanwhile, the Gombe State Government has introduced a mobile court to strengthen enforcement of environmental laws and improve sanitation.
Dr Umar Musa, head of sanitation at the Gombe State Environmental Sanitation and Protection Agency (GOSEPA), said the measure was intended to prevent disease outbreaks, maintain environmental cleanliness and protect public health.
Musa said environmental health officers conducted routine inspections of homes, markets, hospitals and abattoirs to ensure compliance with hygiene standards.
The state also held monthly sanitation exercises to clear waste and desilt drains, helping to prevent flooding and disease outbreaks, he said.
Musa said the agency was conducting a Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) campaign to encourage good hygiene practices.
He said the state had recorded 85 per cent compliance through the exercise, adding that the agency prioritised public education and voluntary compliance over punishment.
“Our environmental health officers conduct routine inspections of homes and other premises.
“We identify offences, engage offenders verbally and issue written notices to give them an opportunity to comply.
“We do not resort to law enforcement unless it becomes necessary. Our priority is to educate the people, provide guidance and encourage voluntary compliance,” he said.
However, some residents of Bauchi and Dutse, Jigawa State, expressed concern over the lack of sanitary inspections in their communities.
Mrs Grace Ojeli, an eatery operator, said sanitary inspectors regularly visited her business to ensure compliance with hygiene and sanitation guidelines.
Rhoda Adamu, another food vendor in Bauchi, said she had undergone a medical examination before obtaining an operating licence from the environmental agency.
Jummai Abubakar, a food vendor in Dutse who has been in the trade for 20 years, said sanitary inspectors used to visit her premises to assess food-handling practices and cleanliness.
“They used to inspect the food and the cleanliness of our business premises.
“If they found that we had not swept or cleaned the place, they would instruct us to do so,” she said.
Abubakar expressed concern about the decline in routine inspections, saying they had stopped over the past year.
She called for regular inspections to resume, noting that proper food hygiene was directly linked to public health. Without consistent monitoring, she said, some vendors might neglect essential cleanliness standards.
Ms Usaina Adamu, who supported Abubakar’s account, said no sanitary inspector had visited her premises since she began operating nine months ago.
“Restoring sanitary inspections will help greatly because the officers are trained in this field and know more about the things we need to pay attention to,” she said.
The food vendor also called for sustained inspections, public education and effective enforcement of environmental health regulations.
Dr Ibrahim Ahmad of the Federal Medical Centre in Birnin Kudu identified inadequate funding, a shortage of environmental health officers and weak enforcement of sanitation regulations as challenges affecting sanitary inspections in Nigeria.
Ahmad emphasised the importance of regular inspections in preventing disease and promoting environmental and public health.
He recalled that sanitary inspectors played a significant role in Nigeria’s public health system during the colonial era and the 1980s, when routine inspections helped maintain environmental cleanliness and hygiene standards.
He said poor coordination among relevant ministries, inadequate public awareness, political interference and corruption undermined effective sanitary inspections.
According to Ahmad, weak institutional oversight and the limited prosecution of sanitation offenders often led to widespread violations of environmental health regulations.
He called for a review of existing sanitation laws, the recruitment and retraining of environmental health officers, and dedicated budget allocations for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
He also recommended establishing specialised courts to handle sanitation-related offences and a coordinating office in health ministries to supervise and monitor inspection activities.
Ahmad urged authorities to maintain public awareness campaigns and introduce environmental and food hygiene education into the national curriculum.
