Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has appealed to the Head of the Civil Service to formally integrate support for the Clean Nigeria Campaign into the operations of all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The Minister, Prof. Joseph Utsev, tendered the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Walson-Jack, in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Utsev congratulated Walson-Jack on her elevation and praised her contributions to the Clean Nigeria Campaign, including her recognition as a Clean Nigeria Champion in 2023. The Clean Nigeria Campaign, launched in 2019, aims to end open defecation by 2030 and achieve SDG 6.2 on equitable sanitation and hygiene. He noted that 148 local government areas have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), with Jigawa achieving full ODF status, while Katsina state is close with 33 out of 34 LGAs certified.
The minister emphasized the strategic role of civil servants in influencing public behavior and policy implementation, highlighting their potential to advance sanitation and hygiene practices across workplaces. He appealed to the Head of Service for support by issuing administrative circulars for the provision and maintenance of adequate toilet facilities in all MDAs. Utsev also proposed including sanitation and hygiene indicators in MDA performance assessments and recommended a Clean Nigeria Campaign Week to foster behavioral change, emphasizing that addressing sanitation challenges extends beyond infrastructure.
In response, Walson-Jack underscored the importance of collaboration in achieving the campaign’s goals and expressed her office’s support for the Clean Nigeria Campaign. She commended the ministry’s progress, noting that since her departure from the ministry less than two years ago, 47 additional LGAs have been declared open defecation-free. She acknowledged the campaign’s challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, limited funding, and cultural resistance, but expressed optimism in overcoming these obstacles through strong institutional collaboration.
Walson-Jack revealed that her office had developed a Policy Protocol on the Use of Federal Secretariat Buildings, including sanitation standards to ensure inclusive toilet access, especially for persons with disabilities. She added that her office had commissioned a remodelled foyer and reception area with retrofitted toilets for persons with disabilities, urging all MDAs to embrace the Clean Nigeria Campaign and commit to creating a cleaner, healthier, and open defecation-free Nigeria.