Chuks Oyema-Aziken
More than 3.5 million children suffer annually from diarrhea and sundry diseases in Nigeria due to poor sanitation and hygiene.
Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2022 National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration in Abuja.
He noted that for every N100 spent improving sanitation and hygiene, between N300 and N400 is saved, stressing that such savings can be invested in health, education, social and economic development.
Abdullahi said the 2022 National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration with theme “A Clean Environment is a Healthy Environment: Get Involved” could not be more apt and timely considering the critical role Sanitation and hygiene play in preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid fever, Lassa Fever, COVID-19 virus, Monkey pox virus among others.
“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to call on Nigerians especially those in places of authority (public or private) to ensure adequate provision for Sanitation and Hygiene” he said.
Abdullahi said that in the effort to promote Clean and Safe Environment, the Ministry with other Stakeholders has validated the National Environmental Sanitation Policy of 2005 and its guidelines on Pest and Vector Control, School Sanitation, Market and Abattoir Sanitation, Sanitary Inspection of Premises, Solid Waste Management and Safe excreta and sewage disposal: construction of public toilets in public places (Schools, markets) among others.
“Let me at this point use this forum to charge all state Governments, Commissioners of Environment, Local Government Chairmen/Councillors, Environmental Health Officers, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, Development partners, Organized private sector etc. across the country to actively step up their Sanitation and hygiene campaigns as an effective means of controlling and preventing disease transmission.
“Finally, let me reiterate that the National Environmental Sanitation Day is more than just a day; Sanitation and hygiene should become an integral part of our everyday life. I therefore urge all media organizations to join the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders as partners in progress in propagating Sanitation and hygiene practices to the general public, children, families, communities, associations etc. as one of the measures to reduce the country’s disease burden.
“Ladies and Gentlemen without preempting the vote of thanks for this occasion I wish to express deep appreciation for my co-host, the Honourable Minister for FCT, Mohammed Musa Bello, other Ministers present, Inter-Ministerial committee on National Environmental Sanitation as well as WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, Water Aid, UNEP, BA-N and other partners supporting Sanitation and Hygiene in Nigeria. My Ministry has enjoyed rich collaborative relationship with you and I hope this will get better in the future” he said.
