Stakeholders in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have called on federal and state governments to increase funding and staffing for sanitary inspection agencies so they can deliver services effectively.
In separate interviews with reporters on Thursday, they identified inadequate funding, staff shortages and skills gaps as major challenges facing sanitary inspection.
They said the reforms would strengthen environmental hygiene, improve food safety and protect public health.
Dr Zanna Lawal, an environmentalist at Ramat Polytechnic in Maiduguri, attributed the challenges to corruption and weak enforcement of sanitation laws.
Lawal said sanitary inspectors previously carried out regular house-to-house inspections and monitored food vendors, restaurants and business premises to ensure they met hygiene standards.
However, he said inadequate recruitment, poor remuneration, a lack of operational equipment and political interference had weakened their effectiveness.
Population growth had also increased inspectors’ workloads, making it difficult to monitor expanding communities, he said.
Lawal called for adequate funding, recruitment and training, as well as stronger enforcement, to restore effective sanitary inspection.
Babi Ladan, a food vendor, expressed concern about the conduct of some sanitary inspectors, alleging that they sometimes focused more on collecting money than on educating traders about proper hygiene.
Ladan said food vendors needed regular guidance on food handling, waste disposal and cleanliness—not intimidation or indiscriminate penalties.
She urged authorities to ensure transparency in sanitation enforcement and address concerns about multiple levies affecting small businesses.
Dr Abubakar Sulaiman, general manager of the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), said the agency was strengthening house-to-house inspections, public awareness and enforcement.
Sulaiman said BOSEPA had deployed a task force to support routine inspections and address environmental violations.
He identified inadequate funding and high diesel costs as major constraints on the agency’s operations.
Effective sanitation required cooperation among government agencies, food vendors, traders and residents, he said.
He urged residents to avoid indiscriminate waste disposal and keep their surroundings clean to prevent sanitation-related diseases, including cholera.
Mr Babagana Modu, general manager of the Yobe State Environmental Protection Agency, said the state government had approved capacity-building for 40 environmental health officers.
He identified shortages of environmental health officers and sanitary labourers, along with a lack of working equipment, as the agency’s main challenges.
Modu called for obsolete sanitation laws in the state to be amended to support effective enforcement. He also said the agency had sought executive approval to reintroduce monthly sanitation.
Dr Ibrahim Umar, executive director of the Adamawa State Environmental Protection Agency (ADSEPA), said the agency had stepped up inspections and awareness campaigns for food vendors about unhygienic practices in restaurants and roadside stalls.
“We monitor how they wash their dishes and flats, whether they provide running water for handwashing, and whether they wear caps and face masks while cooking and serving customers.
“We also encourage them to fumigate and clean their premises and clear their drainage systems, among other measures,” Umar said.
He warned residents against violating sanitation laws, adding that offenders would be prosecuted.
