The Federal Ministry of Environment and the Nasarawa State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources have announced a complete ban on open defecation in all 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said this while talking to journalists after the 2025 National Environmental Sanitation Day, which was held on Thursday in Lafia, the state capital.
This year’s event was themed “Safe Sanitation and Hygiene for Disease Prevention.”
Lawal, who was represented by Omotunde Adeola, a director from the ministry, said that keeping the environment clean is very important to prevent diseases.
He explained that both ministries are working together to teach people how to properly dispose of waste and keep their surroundings clean.
He said this effort shows that the government is serious about improving public health and creating a cleaner environment for the people of Nasarawa State.
“Normally, this event is held on June 28 every year, but the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, invited us to hold it in Nasarawa this year,” Lawal explained.
He added that Nigeria is one of the countries most affected by open defecation. That’s why the ministry is also working with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to stop it.
Lawal urged everyone to use toilets, keep them clean, and wash their hands with soap under running water. He said this would help prevent diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea, especially in rural areas.
He asked people in both cities and villages to build toilets in their homes and in public places.
He also encouraged everyone to keep their surroundings clean at all times to stop the spread of disease. He said the Federal Government is working hard to help every state improve sanitation and hygiene.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, represented by Environment Commissioner Margaret Elayo, said the partnership with the federal ministry supports what the state is already doing to stay clean.
He said his administration values environmental cleanliness and is working to make sure that all homes and public places have toilets with running water.
He promised to make the state’s sanitation enforcement stronger so that all 13 local government areas can become cleaner and healthier.
Dr. Gideon Adamu, the Health Care Services Coordinator of the Nigerian Red Cross in Abuja, said that the 2025 Environmental Sanitation Day also focuses on stopping littering and dumping of waste, which are serious health risks.
Our reporter also noted that both the Federal and State Environment ministries carried out a public awareness campaign on Wednesday in Lafia’s Modern Market and Unguwar Wajen Lalle community.
During this campaign, the District Head, Baba Saidu, promised to teach his people about the importance of cleaning their environment regularly to prevent diseases.
He thanked the ministries for the awareness campaign and asked them to build drainage systems to help stop erosion in the area.
