The Federal Government on Wednesday celebrated Katsina and Jigawa States for attaining Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status, describing the achievement as a major milestone in the country’s sanitation drive.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the commendation at an event marking the 6th anniversary of the Clean Nigeria Campaign and the 2025 World Toilet Day in Abuja. He was represented by Mrs. Inna Binta-Audu, Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners.
Shettima noted that the celebration coincided with three significant sanitation milestones: the anniversary of the Clean Nigeria Campaign, the 2025 World Toilet Day, and the signing of the revised Presidential Executive Order 009 on ODF Nigeria.
Launched in 2019, the campaign was driven by the conviction that every Nigerian deserves access to safe sanitation and hygiene. The Vice President highlighted achievements under the programme, including more than 150 ODF Local Government Areas, thousands of ODF communities, and millions of new household and communal toilets constructed nationwide between 2019 and 2024.
Over 23 million Nigerians have gained access to improved sanitation during this period, with millions more reached through behaviour-change campaigns and public advocacy. The revised Presidential Executive Order provides a strengthened legal framework for monitoring, private sector participation, and enforcement, critical to consolidating gains.
Shettima emphasized that Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) remains a priority for public health, human capital development, school attendance, and community resilience. He also noted that the 2025 World Toilet Day theme, “Sanitation in a Changing World”, highlights the need for climate-smart sanitation systems amid pressures from climate change, urbanization, and public health challenges.
The Vice President commended state governments, traditional leaders, development partners, civil society, and private sector actors for their contributions and called for intensified collaboration, increased investment in sanitation infrastructure, and deployment of climate-resilient WASH solutions to meet Nigeria’s 2030 ODF target.
Earlier, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the Clean Nigeria Campaign had recorded steady improvement, with 158 Local Government Areas now verified as ODF and Katsina emerging as the latest state to achieve the milestone. Millions of Nigerians have gained access to toilets in homes, schools, and public facilities, he added.
Utsev highlighted the use of a real-time information management system for transparent reporting and ongoing capacity-building efforts to equip community champions and local officers. He noted that sanitation remains critical for health, education, productivity, and the dignity of women and girls.
Representatives of development partners also spoke at the event. Judith Warmate of the World Bank emphasized that sanitation is a human right and a development priority, warning that poor sanitation costs Nigeria billions annually in health and economic losses. She reaffirmed the Bank’s support through programmes such as SURWASH, Citywide Inclusive Sanitation, and P-WASH, while calling for innovation, stronger private-sector participation, digital tools, and evidence-based decision-making.
Dr. Jane Bevan, UNICEF Chief of WASH, commended the Clean Nigeria Campaign and UNICEF field teams for supporting ODF achievements nationwide, stressing the need to ensure every Nigerian child grows up in a clean, healthy, and dignified environment.
Dr. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, First Lady of Kwara State and Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF), reaffirmed her state’s commitment to accelerating access to safe sanitation. She urged stakeholders to scale up Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), adopt affordable and environmentally sustainable solutions, and strengthen community engagement.
The event featured goodwill messages from WaterAid Nigeria, Self Help Africa, Sightsavers, line ministries, and other partners. Awards were presented to development partners and states demonstrating outstanding leadership in advancing sanitation efforts nationwide.
