Open defecation: Nigeria ranks No. 1 in the world — FG

The Federal Government says Nigeria now ranks number one in the world with people practicing open defecation.

The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed this while declaring open a two-day Private Sector Forum on Sanitation, on Monday in Abuja.

The forum was organised by Organised Private Sector on Sanitation with the theme, ‘Coordinating Indigenous Private Sector Initiatives to End Open Defecation in Nigeria.’

On October 2, India stopped being the world number one country with the highest number of people practising open defecation in the world.

According to Adamu, Nigeria currently ranks number one in terms of the number of people practicing open defecation in Africa.

“We are on the brink of being ranked first globally, as approximately 47 million people do not have access to sanitation services in its most basic form.

“Understandably, this is a serious concern to all of us, as it has immense economic consequences and also hinders the social development of the country,” he said.

He said that the Sustainable Development Goal six is aimed at ensuring availability of WASH services as well as the sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.

– Punch