United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on South-West states to scale up efforts towards ending open defecation, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target on sanitation by 2030.

The appeal was made at a two-day media dialogue on accelerating actions to improve urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information, in collaboration with UNICEF, in Ibadan.

UNICEF WASH Specialist, Monday Johnson, emphasised that achieving a Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) approach is key to ensuring equitable access to safe sanitation services for urban residents, including those living in informal settlements.

According to him, CWIS provides a flexible and inclusive framework that caters to the needs of every social class within the urban environment.
“Citywide Inclusive Sanitation is a strategy for all. It is not focused on a particular section of the community, but on all strata of the urban environment,” he explained.

Johnson said the approach ensures collaboration among stakeholders, eliminates role conflicts, and strengthens coordination within the sanitation sector.

Emphasising the financing opportunities within the sanitation value chain, the UNICEF official explained that households contribute significantly to sanitation services, from latrine construction to waste evacuation and disposal. He commended Jigawa and Katsina for being declared open defecation-free (ODF), describing them as models for other states.  

Johnson, however, expressed concern that the South-West region still lags behind in achieving the ODF status.UNICEF’s Advocacy, Media and Communication Officer, Blessing Ejiofor, urged journalists to leverage their platforms to advocate for WASH to be recognised and upheld as a fundamental right for all.

Director of Community Mobilisation and Hygiene Education, Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (OYORUWASSA), Adegoke Ayodele, highlighted progress made in the state through sustained efforts on WASH programmes, describing them as “success stories that must be built upon.”

In her goodwill message, the Programme Officer at the Oyo State Ministry of Information, Adeola Adewole, urged media practitioners to advocate improved sanitation practices and policies across Nigeria.