The Cross River State Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, in partnership with Self Help Africa, has launched four major policy documents aimed at ending open defecation, improving sanitation standards, and expanding access to clean water in rural communities across the state.
The documents unveiled in Calabar include the Cross River State Open Defecation Prohibition Law, Basic Sanitation Access Roadmap, WASH Financing Strategy for Rural and Small Towns, and the Yala Local Government Area WASH Strategic and Investment Plan.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bassey Mensah, described the reforms as a bold step toward building a healthier, cleaner, and environmentally sustainable Cross River State.
Mensah said the sanitation roadmap and the open defecation prohibition law would provide a clear framework for achieving an open defecation-free state, noting that poor sanitation practices remain a major public health concern in many communities.
According to him, open defecation continues to undermine human dignity, pollute the environment, and contribute to preventable disease outbreaks, especially in underserved rural areas.

He explained that the WASH financing strategy was designed to tackle one of the sector’s biggest challenges by creating sustainable and innovative approaches for mobilising resources and improving investments in water and sanitation infrastructure.
The commissioner added that the Yala Local Government Area WASH Strategic and Investment Plan would serve as a model for targeted, community-based interventions that could be replicated across other local government areas in the state.
Mensah stressed that government alone could not achieve the desired transformation in the WASH sector, calling for stronger collaboration among development partners, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, community leaders, and residents.

“The future we seek is one where every home has access to safe water, every community enjoys decent sanitation, every school has functional hygiene facilities, and every citizen lives with dignity and good health,” he said.
Also speaking, Governor Bassey Otu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Anthony Owan-Enoh, said the administration remained committed to ensuring that rural communities benefit from ongoing development programmes.
He noted that the government’s “People First” agenda extends beyond urban centres, adding that sanitation and hygiene awareness campaigns would be intensified at the grassroots level.

Owan-Enoh described the launch as “the beginning of a journey” toward changing public attitudes and improving health outcomes through sustained sensitisation and implementation efforts.
Earlier, the Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, said the policy documents were developed through extensive consultations involving government institutions, technical experts, donor agencies, civil society groups, and community representatives.
She said the reforms reflected a shared commitment to building sustainable and accountable WASH systems capable of accelerating access to safe water, improved sanitation, and healthier living conditions across Cross River State.