FG, Ogun Train Officers To End Open Defecation
The Federal Government, in partnership with the Ogun State Government, plans to train Desk Officers across the 20 Local Government Areas to rid the state of open defecation by 2025.
The training is an extension of the gvernment’s commitment to support states across the federation towards achieving the national target of making Nigeria free of open defecation on or before 2025.
Declaring open a five-day workshop, the Commissioner For Rural Development, Engr Taiwo Oludotun, said that it would avail the officers the required skills to educate people through the "Use the Toilet" campaign against open defecation.
Oludotun, who thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun and his wife, Mrs Bamidele, for their support in making the state open defecation free, said the skills to be acquired by the officers would also promote toilet uptake in ending the practices in all the communities within the LGAs.
He urged the trainees to take the advantage of the community-led Total Sanitation Approach(CLTS) training workshop to rescue the state from those who still practice open defecation in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator, Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat (CNC), Mrs Chizoma Opara, said the workshop was targeted at building capacity for the Clean Nigeria campaign LGA desk officers in the state.
Opara, who was represented by Mrs Abasiama Ebreso from Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said the purpose of the campaign was to remove Nigeria from list of countries with a high number of persons practising open defecation.
She, therefore, called for support from government at all levels, civil societies, the private sector, development partners and the entire populace.
Opera added that all communities must strive to ensure that Nigerians have access to toilet facilities at home, and public places, including schools, health centres, motor parks, markets etc.
"The Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat is willing to continue to provide support to states that are demonstrating commitment to the objectives of the campaign and we hope that Ogun State will be one of those states.
"It is my desire that every participant shows commitment to the success of this campaign by demonstrating zeal and passion in the course of this training. “Together, I believe we will achieve our goal of an open defecation free Nigeria by 2025," She stressed.