Nigeria recorded a major breakthrough in its national sanitation effort on Tuesday as Katsina State was officially declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), joining Jigawa as the only two states to have achieved the milestone.
The declaration was made during the sixth anniversary of the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign and the 2025 World Toilet Day celebration in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Special Adviser to the President on Humanitarian and Development Partnerships, Inna Binta Audu, congratulated Katsina and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to eradicating open defecation nationwide.
She said President Bola Tinubu had signed the revised Presidential Executive Order 009 to strengthen sanitation enforcement, expand private-sector participation, and deepen accountability ahead of the new 2030 ODF target.
Audu noted that over 150 council areas have now been verified ODF, adding that more than 23 million Nigerians gained access to improved sanitation between 2019 and 2024.
She described the achievements as proof of what collective action can accomplish, while emphasising that millions still lack access to safe sanitation.
Kwara State was another standout performer, winning the award for consistency in sanitation financing, alongside the prestigious Trailblazer Award and recognition for excellence in public finance and utilisation, which it shared with Bauchi and Jigawa.
Benue and Kwara were honoured in the State Category Award, while Bauchi, Jigawa and Kano were recognised for strong institutional and regulatory performance.
The award for outstanding multi-sectoral collaboration went to Cross River and Kano, while the advocacy category was won by Borno, Kano and Kaduna. Fifteen LGAs from Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Yobe, Sokoto and Zamfara received new ODF certificates, reflecting the widening national momentum.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, expressed delight at the progress recorded over the past six years, confirming that Nigeria now has 158 ODF-verified LGAs.
