Is Nigeria close to ending Open Defecation with the new order?

November 19 of every year is the world toilet day and we indeed made a post to that effect yesterday pointing to the numerous importance of access to good toilets in preventing all forms of toilet diseases. 
Nigeria Executive Order on Open Defecation, A Timely Action Long Over Due

It is on record how millions of people are killed annually due to lack of access to the toilet and others becoming seriously ill. In fact, Nigeria is ranked second among world nations with the highest number of people practicing open defecation with an estimate of over 46 million people in this ugly practice.
In what turns out to be good news, the Nigerian President, Mohammadu Buhari on Wednesday 20th November 2019 signed an executive order to end open defecation in Nigeria.

The Executive order which is entitled “The Open Defecation -Free Nigeria by 2025 and Other Related Matters Order 2019, was signed in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday 2019.
Nigeria as a nation is committed to putting an end to open defecation in the entire country in 2025, this is in consonance with the nation’s devotion to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 
With this order, it is declared that the National Open Defecation Free Roadmap developed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the support from other viable sector players across Nigeria be put into effect. In a bid to actualize this,  a National effort called ‘Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat’ has been established in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.


In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity said that the Secretariat is authorised on behalf of the President to implement this order so as to ensure that all public places including schools, hotels, fuel stations, religious organizations, market places, hospitals, and offices have adequate access to toilets and latrines within their premises.

If this is eventually actualised with efforts from people, Nigeria will be free from diseases related to lack of access to toilets and Nigeria will be great!

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