The Nigerian Government has called for improved access to safe, inclusive and gender-responsive sanitation facilities across the country, stressing the need to end open defecation and protect the health, safety and dignity of women and girls.
The Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal, made the call at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 World Toilet Day, with the theme, “Sanitation and Gender Equality,” and the campaign tagline, “Safe Toilets. Equal Futures.”
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs Omotunde Adeola, described sanitation as “an essential public health intervention, an environmental safeguard and a fundamental requirement for human dignity.”
He said inadequate access to functional toilet facilities in schools, markets, motor parks and communities continued to expose Nigerians to serious health and environmental risks, including food and water contamination and the spread of sanitation-related diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Lawal noted that the consequences of poor sanitation were particularly severe for women, girls, children, older persons and persons living with disabilities, who often face additional difficulties accessing safe and appropriate toilet facilities.
He stressed that no child should miss school because of inadequate toilet facilities and no woman or girl should be forced to compromise her safety and dignity because of the absence of appropriate sanitation infrastructure.
According to him, “approximately 4.5 billion people globally still lack safely managed sanitation services, while 892 million continue to practise open defecation, underscoring the urgency of accelerating efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDGs 6, 5, 3 and 11.”
On Nigeria’s sanitation situation, the Minister said: “access to improved sanitation remained below 36 per cent for a significant proportion of the population, citing the National Demographic and Health Survey.”
He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with relevant ministries, state governments and development partners, was implementing several programmes to improve sanitation nationwide.
“These include capacity building for Environmental Health Officers on faecal sludge management and toilet design, integration of sanitation into climate adaptation and circular economy initiatives, the Clean and Green Programme, and the Community-Based Waste Management and Open Defecation Control Programmes, “ he said
He said that the Ministry was also strengthening partnerships with private sector operators to provide affordable and environmentally friendly sanitation facilities.
As part of activities marking the 2026 World Toilet Day, Lawal announced a community engagement and sensitisation campaign scheduled for November 19 at Kpadna Community, Utako, Abuja.
“The campaign will engage residents, traders and food vendors on proper sanitation, hand hygiene and safe waste disposal through health talks, interactive discussions and practical demonstrations by Environmental Health Officers,” he explained.
He also announced a National Dialogue on Faecal Sludge Management scheduled for November 23, involving seven selected states across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory. “The dialogue is expected to provide an opportunity for states to share experiences, assess challenges and develop practical recommendations for improving faecal sludge management.”
The Minister further disclosed that the commemoration would take place simultaneously across states of the federation through community sensitisation, advocacy campaigns and sanitary inspections of public places.
He called on state and local governments to strengthen wastewater and faecal sludge management, while urging households to embrace proper toilet use, handwashing and environmental cleanliness. He also encouraged private investors and development partners to support affordable sanitation technologies and infrastructure, particularly in underserved communities.
In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Salihu Usman represented by the Deputy Director and Head of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs Rita Okea, said the annual commemoration provided an opportunity to renew Nigeria’s commitment to addressing sanitation challenges.
He recalled that the United Nations General Assembly designated November 19 as World Toilet Day in 2013 to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis and promote action towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.
Mr Usman said “the absence of safe, private and accessible toilet facilities continued to disproportionately affect women and girls, particularly in schools, workplaces and public spaces.”
He called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, the private sector, civil society organisations and communities to address existing sanitation gaps.
The Permanent Secretary also acknowledged the contributions of development partners and urged media professionals to intensify public awareness and educate citizens on sanitation-related issues.
Both officials emphasised that achieving universal access to safe sanitation requires collective responsibility, sustained public awareness and stronger partnerships, urging Nigerians to embrace proper hygiene practices towards building a cleaner, healthier and more dignified society.
