The Bauchi State Government says it has successfully achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in eight local government areas and approximately six thousand communities as part of its Water, Sanitary, and Hygiene (WASH) sector initiatives.
The ODF local governments include Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro, and Katagum.
The General Manager of the State’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) Alhaji Adamu Sabo made this known during a media dialogue organised by UNICEF to commemorate the 2023 World Toilet Day (WTD) in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum Local Government.
Alhaji Sabo maintained that Bauchi is striving hard toward ODF status, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder support to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 target and attain statewide ODF by 2025.
“The state government successfully achieved ODF status in eight LGAs: Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro, and Katagum. Additionally, 5934 communities achieved ODF status, with Bauchi and Zaki LGAs at various stages of becoming ODF.”
Alhaji Sabo, who represented the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Nuhu Zaki, said over 113,000 improved toilets were constructed across the state, emphasizing the importance of safe toilets for public health and human dignity.
Dr Clement Adams, the Officer in Charge of UNICEF Field Office Bauchi, underscored the necessity of improved toilets in various settings and thanked multilateral partners for their continued support.
He urged stakeholders to uphold basic hygiene practices and policies to maintain the achievements.
