As the Nigerian Blue Community NEWARI, the Network of Water Rights Initiatives in the Enugu State, celebrated the World Toilet Day (see here), it also announced changes in Nigeria’s policy: With Nigeria already off-track in meeting its 2025 Open Defecation-free ODF target, the Government has launched a revised strategic plan, which aims to get all 774 Local Government Areas across Nigeria to be Open Defecation-free by 2030:
Nigeria’s quest for a nationwide Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status has just received a significant boost. With only 17 percent of local governments certified as ODF since the launch of the Clean Nigeria Campaign five years ago, there is no gainsaying that the initial 2025 target is no longer feasible.
In response, the Nigerian Government has launched a revised strategic plan, setting a new target of 2030 for all 774 local governments to achieve ODF status. The launch took place at the event to mark 2024 World Toilet Day as well as the 5th Year anniversary of the Clean Nigeria Campaign. This move marks a pivotal step forward in addressing Nigeria’s sanitation challenges, particularly given that nearly 48 million people still practice open defecation, and even more lack access to safely managed sanitation services.
This revised plan demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to achieving a cleaner, healthier Nigeria. In meeting this new target, a pragmatic shift from business-as-usual is now inevitable and state governments must be made accountable for the progress in their respective states.
