Oyo government says it is working hard to end open defecation in the state by 2028.
Mr Dotun Oyelade, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, said this at the ongoing media dialogue on ending open defecation in Southwest states on Thursday in Ibadan.
The workshop was organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Oyo Ministry of Information and Orientation.
The workshop has as its theme, “Eliminating Open defecation in Southwest states Nigeria.”
Oyelade said the state government had launched media sensitization and general campaigns against open defecation in the state.
The Commissioner said the state Ministry of Justice had been mandated to ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of open defecation in the state.
“We have started reorientation campaigns with erection of warning billboards on open defecation in strategic locations in the state.
“After the necessary campaigns, anyone who does not obey the law will be reprimanded.
“The state government is working assiduously to ensure open defecation is reduced drastically by 2028.
“It is very sad that Nigeria had been identified in the whole world as the worst place where open defecation takes place.
“We are happy and encouraged by what UNICEF is doing in collaboration with states to discourage open defecation,” he said.
Also, Mrs Titilayo Obayemi, the Director of the state’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), said the state government had in 2022 launched a road map on open defecation.
Obayemi said the road map would enable the state to plan on how the 33 Local Government Areas in the state would be open defecation free by year 2028.
She said the practice of open defecation in the state was worrisome and government was doing everything possible to meet its target of open defecation free society by 2028.
She said the state government had started working in two local governments, Ona-Ara and Egbeda as a pilot local governments to end open defecation.
“We have started mobilization of the stakeholders on it, we have picked two LGAs with the help of UNICEF and we have been able to trigger some of these communities.
“We have about 800 communities in the two LGAs and we have triggered some of them to be open defecation free.
According to her, the state government is also treating sources of potable water in the communities to prevent incidences of water borne diseases.
“The state is doing well in access to water, but the aspect of sanitation needs to be be taken care of.
“Water is polluted in many of the communities due to lack of sanitation and basic hygiene facilities.
“We have water safety plan. Through this plan, communities’ water sources are being treated to reduce incidences of water borne diseases,” she said.
She urged the media to support the state government in the area of public sensitization on regular hand washing and general sanitation.
Obayemi commended the United UNICEF and WaterAid for their support for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the state.
According to her, UNICEF and WaterAid have been helping in capacity building for state and local government staffers on WASH communities formation, training and WASH in schools.
