Eighteen per cent of Nigerians defecate in the open, according to new data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), highlighting the scale of sanitation gaps in Africa’s most populous country.

The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) defines open defecation as the disposal of human faeces in fields, forests, bushes, open bodies of water, beaches or other open spaces, or with solid waste.

The report places Nigeria well above the global average of five per cent. The highest prevalence rates were recorded in Eritrea (67 per cent), Niger (65 per cent), Chad (63 per cent), South Sudan (60 per cent) and Benin (49 per cent). Nigeria shares the same rate as Ethiopia, while neighbouring Sudan stands at 17 per cent.

In 2019, the Nigerian government launched the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign with the stated goal of ending open defecation nationwide by 2025. The initiative included plans for large-scale toilet construction, public awareness programmes, and partnerships with state governments and local communities.

Despite these efforts, progress has been uneven. Population growth, the expansion of informal urban settlements, and insufficient maintenance of sanitation facilities have hindered gains. In rural areas, where infrastructure is often lacking, open defecation remains a common practice.

Public health experts have warned that the target to eliminate open defecation by 2025 is unlikely to be met without significant increases in funding and sustained community engagement. They point to the need for behaviour change campaigns alongside physical infrastructure.

The JMP report shows that several countries have achieved near-total elimination of open defecation, including Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and Russia, all reporting zero percent prevalence.

In contrast, many low-income and lower-middle-income countries in Africa and Asia continue to face high rates. In Asia, India’s prevalence is 11 percent, Afghanistan’s nine percent and Pakistan’s seven percent.

The WHO and UNICEF stress that the elimination of open defecation is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation. They also note that reducing open defecation lowers the risk of waterborne diseases and improves overall public health outcomes.