Experts have called on governments at all levels to strengthen and properly monitor sanitation officers as part of efforts to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6.
They made the call in separate interviews with reporters on Wednesday in Ibadan during activities marking the 2025 World Toilet Day.
World Toilet Day is commemorated annually on Nov. 19, and the 2025 theme is “Sanitation in a Changing World.”
The experts highlighted the importance of proper sanitation and the health risks associated with poor sanitation and toilet hygiene.
Dr. Francis Sanwo, Medical Director of Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Hospital, Oluyoro Oke-Offa in Ibadan, said the government must strengthen the operations of sanitation officers who routinely assess environmental cleanliness and submit reports.
He said the officers should also be subject to strict monitoring to ensure accountability, noting that their proximity to communities would help maintain sustainable environmental hygiene and improve the accuracy of situation reports.
“Government is not doing enough; achieving the 2030 target may not be realistic. Many houses in urban areas still lack toilet facilities, not to talk of rural areas.
“Open defecation is still common. Government should bring back sanitary officers or health inspectors, as we knew them in the 70s (wole-wole). They must also be monitored and sanctioned when found wanting, including cases of bribery,” he said.
Sanwo described the toilet as a life-saver, a protector of dignity and an opportunity provider. He warned that poor sanitation increases the risk of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid.
He added that poor sanitation undermines human well-being and socioeconomic development, leading to anxiety, heightened risk of sexual assault and loss of educational opportunities.
“Inadequate sanitation is estimated to cause 432,000 diarrhea deaths annually and is a major factor in neglected tropical diseases such as intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma,” he said, noting that poor sanitation also contributes to malnutrition.
Sanwo said good water, sanitation and hygiene could prevent the deaths of 297,000 children under five each year, while open defecation fuels the cycle of disease and poverty.
He warned that the sanitation crisis is worsening in fast-growing mega cities, where sewage systems are inadequate and space for toilets is extremely limited.
“Wastewater is increasingly seen as a resource for food production in urban areas, but this requires proper treatment, regulation and public education,” he added.
Also speaking, Dr. Ifeoluwa Odedina, a public health physician at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said the theme of this year’s World Toilet Day is apt, given rapid population growth and rising urbanization.
He said poor toilet hygiene poses health risks for individuals, communities and the country.
“For individuals, it can cause anal irritation and expose them to infections like cholera and dysentery. At the community level, it spreads sickness and makes families ill.
“Sick people cannot work or earn money, and they also lose resources treating illnesses. For the country, poor sanitation strains the health system and causes avoidable deaths,” he said.
Odedina also noted that poor sanitation creates unpleasant environments, making communities unsightly and the country unattractive for tourism.
He urged the government to enforce proper sanitation by ensuring that homes, markets, schools and other structures are built with functional toilet facilities and maintained properly.
He also encouraged civil society organizations to educate communities on the importance of hygiene, adding that good sanitation habits should be taught from childhood.
Meanwhile, reporters who visited some shops without toilet facilities found that many traders were struggling to cope.
One trader, who identified himself as Comrade Stanley, said it was difficult to find shops with toilets.
“The owner of the building is late, and the agent does not have the capacity to build a toilet. When we are seriously pressed, we run to the nearest bank to defecate,” he said.
A female trader, who preferred anonymity, said her shop was located in a roadside container structure, making it impossible to install a toilet.
“I know the dangers of open defecation, but there is no space to build a toilet here. I usually run to a nearby church when pressed,” she said.
