Admist efforts to achieve Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2025, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development to actively engaged Nigeria youths in ending open defecation in the country.
This is just as the federal government also launched the Youth In Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (YOUTH WASH) strategic Framework document for the active engagement of the youths in ending open defecation in the country and ensuring everyone, everywhere have access safe water , sanitation and hygiene.
The Minister of Water Resources Engr Suleiman Adamu while speaking at the launch of the strategic document and the signing of the memorandum of understanding yesterday at the National Youth Service Corp Orientation camp, Kubwa Abuja said the aim was to ensure youths are engaged in developmental activities that will bring about positive behavioral change in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
The minister explained that the YouthWASH Programme was designed to mobilize youths at all levels for ‘the sustainable development and management of the WASH Sector towards social and economic prosperity of the nation saying it is in recognition of the strategic role that youths play in national development.
According to him, the implementation of the YouthWASH programme as outlined in the strategy document will be driven by the lead Ministries, Federal Ministry of Water Resources through the Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat, and the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development through the National Youth Service Corps.
Adamu stated that the launch of the YouthWASH programme at the NYSC orientation camp is symbolic, because the scheme provides a veritable platform to engage Nigerian youths all across the country,, saying signing of MoU between the two Ministries will further strengthen collaboration between the Ministries particularly on WASH issues.
The National Coordinator Clean Nigeria, Use the Toilet campaign to end open defecation in Nigeria Mrs Chizoba Opara pointed out that when the ODF campaign was flagged off by Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo in 2019, about 16 local government areas were ODF free but today there about 102 LGAs and given that there are about 774 LGAs in Nigeria,there are questions as to if Nigeria can be ODF free by 2025.
Opara noted that the idea of the initiative is to see how the corp members can be actively engaged across the 774 LGA to support government initiative of ending open defecation in Nigeria.
While uncertain if the government can reach the target by 2025, Opara stressed the need for continuity and urged the incoming administration to build on the achievements so far so as to ensure Nigeria reach the target.
She said “the campaign is a huge task giving the number of people that defecate in the open so the campaign must take another dimension and the youths drive this campaign and have more awareness creation towards ending open defecation”
The Executive Coordinator Youth WASH initiative Africa Mr Nature Obiakor said the strategy is to train youths on how to advocate, engage, monitor and report on WASH best practices,saying Nigeria youths must join hands to tackle the menance of open defecation in the country.
He said ” I would like take this opportunity to urge all participants to take action that will contribute to addressing this problem bedeviling all of us, as our expertise, knowledge and commitment is critical to the success of this endeavor”.
