Ogun moves against open defecation in rural areas

Towards ensuring total sanitation and open defecation-free environment in rural communities in Ogun State, the State government in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Unilever Global Foundation have organised a one-day training for stakeholders to curb the disgusting habit of open defecation in the communities.

The programme, which took place at Ijebu Ode recently had in attendance chairmen from the 20 local government councils, paramount rulers, Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGA), and Directors of Local Government Areas (LGA) water and environmental sanitation and State Task Group Sanitation (STGS) members.

In his address, the Project Manager of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RUWATSAN), Engineer Olatokunbo Sonde, said the focus of the programme was to ensure a successful Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS).

He said efforts must be made to achieve a sustainable behavior change through motivation and mobilization of communities to understand the risk associated with Open Defecation (OD), adding that the sensitization meeting would help to propagate the use of the CLTS approach in the order to be replicated in the other 19 LGAs as it was earlier done in Odeda Local Government Area,

The project manager also disclosed that the state has made giant strides as success was recorded in Odeda, which produced a large figure of open defecation free communities in Opeji, Alagbagba, and Alabata wards.