Lagos State government has intensified its campaign to eradicate open defecation by 2025 across the state, with a plea to residents and visitors alike to shun the habit.

The state said the time has come for Nigeria to shed the notorious toga of a country with the second high incidence of open defecation.

Speaking as the statewide campaign on CLEAN NIGERIA: USE THE TOILET CAMPAIGN moved to Aiyetoro Market in Epe Local Council, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Tajudeen Omobolaji, said awareness campaign remains a major driving tool for achieving an open defecation free Lagos

Gaji, who spoke through a Director in the Sanitation Department,  Babajide Adeoye, said in  year 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari  declared a state of emergency on open defecation and subsequently signed into law an Executive Order 009 titled: “The Open Defecation-Free Nigeria by 2025 and Other Related Matters Order 2019.”

He said the former President’s action became necessary because globally, Nigeria had been ranked the second country with the highest number of people practising open defecation.

The permanent secretary said Lagos State government’s mandate to eradicate open defecation is embedded in Pillar 1, Goal 2 of the Lagos Resilience Strategy Document.

He added that the document focused on “Improve access to clean water and Sanitation” through four initiatives, which are provision of public toilets and bathrooms in each local council and Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

He outlined other parts of the initiatives to include: construction of community wastewater treatment plants, development of an integrated waste management system expansion and protection of water sources to improve the city’s water supply.

He said the campaign seeks to promote the use of toilets by all for a healthy environment and must be people-centred and community-based.

Gaji added that the priority of the campaign was serious community engagement, which included relevant stakeholders, especially in the vulnerable and underserved communities.

He pointed out that the campaign, despite its successes, has been confronted with some challenges ranging from no budgetary allocation to lack of political will, saying there is need for political support from Local Councils to cascade the policy to the people, who are the direct beneficiaries.

“It is my hope that in view of the importance of this campaign to our national developmental process, we will meet the goal of eradicating open defecation by 2025,” he said.

In his address, Chairman of Epe Local Council, urged owners of petrol stations and shopping malls within the metropolis to make their toilet facilities available to passers-by while admonishing residents of Epe to desist from practising open defecation.

The chairman represented by Alhaji Sikiru Owolomoshe thanked the State Government for bringing the initiative to the people of Epe Local Government and Eredo and Ikosi-Ejirin LCDA.

He said the council believes that the campaign and other initiatives of this present administration would contribute immensely to the successful eradication of open defecation in their community.