Civil Society to build 10,000 Toilets to Stop Open Defecation
Jack Acheme, Abuja
The Director General of the Civil Society Organization on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, CSCHEI, Yusuf Kunle says plans have been concluded to build 10,000 toilets across the 774 local government areas in the country as part of efforts towards the fight against open defecation.
He stated this at the Launching of CSCHEI’s first projects and programmes in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said the initiative will mitigate the health and environmental challenges posed by open defecation in the country.
It would be recalled that Nigeria ranks second in global and 1st in Africa in open defecation rating, a phenomenon federal, state and other bodies in Nigeria are working assiduously to stem.
He said the organisation will also train and deploy 40,000 youths on Point of Sale Services, POS, and other skills and empower them with cash and other materials across the 774 LGAs.
“Interestingly our rating on open defecation is bad but today we are ready to construct 10,000 toilets across the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.
Each will be divided into three for the women and three for the men. The community will own them for maintenance and sustainability.
“We are also going to build motorized Boreholes powered by Solar for the benefit of our people, markets, and schools across the country.
“The rating of unemployment in Nigeria is also alarming but CSCHEI will be working with development partners, donor agencies, and foundations to train 40,000 Nigerian youths across 774 LGAs on POS and other skills and empower them with cash and other materials.
“instead of giving N12,000 per household we still want to advise and appeal to the government on how best we can train our youths and this will give them the platform to be out of unemployment.
Other areas of intervention by CSCHEI, he said include: the domestication of SDGs in Secondary schools and the recruitment of retired Science teachers to reinvigorate the system.
“The best thing to do is to domesticate the SDGs club in the secondary schools. It is an initiative to identify with secondary school children and catch their brains young. Today the club has been initiated to help in the development of their brain.
“The No Teacher No Development was initiated by CSCHEI for some of the retired Science Teachers who are not tired of coming back and impact scientific knowledge on our students, at least three times a week. We are going to partner with UBEC and other agencies. This will enhance the study of Technology, Engineering, and Maths among others.
Most especially in the advent of COVID-19 and its variants, the whole world needs more of science and this is the way to go about it.
He said the SDG domestication programme was launched to support the government as it cannot do it alone and enhance national development.
“We have launched these programs and all the state directors will now work with the NGOs, CBOs and communities for the implementation.
“We launch the programme today to support the government because we know that government alone cannot do it,” he said.
The Minister of Women Affairs in Nigeria, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, represented by the Director of Gender Affairs of the Ministry, Friya Bulus said all the initiatives of CSCHEI align with most of the goals of the SDG just as the ministry is also at the forefront of encouraging and protecting women to enhance national development which is a core part of the SDGs.
She called on everybody to join hands in supporting the course of the woman.
“No nation will have meaningful development if women are left behind. Everybody should proffer solutions that will advance the course of women in Nigeria.
“Due to the increasing level of Gender Based Violence, GBV, in Nigeria, I’m calling on all of you to take this battle to the enemy’s camp. If you see something, please say something.
“You do not know who will be the next victim of GBV, let us not be silent. Let us pull our efforts together to fight this menace of Gender-based violence.
“The Ministry has procured the support of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to set up mobile courts in all the states that can dispense justice swiftly in all cases of GBV.
She said the Ministry’s doors are open for collaboration to make Nigeria a better society for all.
The Ambassador of Belgium to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt said the programmes outlined by CSCHEI are very important as they identify with the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, which are just Six years away from ending as such needed to be fast-tracked by bringing it to the state, Local Government and communities otherwise the target may not be met.
“There is also the need for CSOs to speak to the government. You can not leave them to their own devices. I’m very pleased that the domestication and adoption of SDGs are taking place here. It means what is decided at the Global level also speaks at the local level.
CSCHEI plays a double role of bringing together as many as possible CSOs under one umbrella and it is also going to be a forum to take action. It combines the umbrella and the convening power,” he said.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Dimeji Bankole who chaired the inaugural meeting and unveiling of CSCHEI, charged the organization to take actions that will positively project Nigeria.
The event was attended by diplomats, development partners, NGOs, CBOs (who were inaugurated and trained as agents of development), and Government representatives among others. It also witnessed the public presentation of the management and state directors and the four thematic areas of CSCHEI’s operations.
Dominica Nwabufo
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