The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammadu Abubakar says about four point two billion people of the world are living without safe toilet out of which about forty seven million Nigerians still practice open defecation.
He stated this in a press briefing to mark the 2019 World Toilet Day.
Our Abuja bureau crew covered the briefing and reports that this year’s theme “Toilet for all” focuses on leaving no one behind as the world strives to achieve universal access to sanitation.
Nineteenth November annually is obtained as World Toilet Day as declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013.
The day is observed to stress on the need for access to healthy environmental sanitation.
Addressing the press, the Minister said access to sanitary facilities remains a mirage to a vast majority of the citizenry as many people still use the bush and water bodies as their regular means for excreta removal.
He said one of the major consequences of poor excreta disposal is high rate of diarrhoea which is the second cause of high morbidity and mortality amongst children under the age of five.
The Minister, further said sanitation crises if not checked will undermine the overwhelming ambition of the 2030 agenda which is to build safe, more resilient societies on a healthy planet.
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