Youths move to end open defecation In Nigeria, other Africa countries

Young people between 10-24 years old in Ghana and Nigeria are being mobilised to share ideas on how to end open defecation in their communities.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the exercise has begun in Ghana and Nigeria and would take off in Central Africa in the coming weeks.

UNICEF disclosed this yesterday in a press statement made available to The Guardian in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

The global agency said young people were being mobilised to put an end to open defecation because it exacerbates malnutrition and contributes to diarrheal diseases.

UNICEF expressed sadness that the two regions still “accounts for 24 per cent of global open defecation, with 120 million people practicing it”, lamenting that it was a leading cause of child deaths in West and Central Africa.

The statement, signed by UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Marie-Pierre Poirier, revealed that Nigeria ranks second in the world with 38 million people practicing open defecation.

Poirier noted that making progress requires active involvement of young people, adding: “Nothing can happen for communities without communities, particularly their younger members.”