The federal government has commenced implementation of measures to combat cholera epidemic by tackling the root causes, including open defecation.

Vice President Kashim Shettima said Thursday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was determined to end open defecation by 2025.

The Vice President said this when he inaugurated the Steering Committee for the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said ending open defecation can be achieved by mobilising strategic stakeholders and leveraging technology as well as deploying innovative and sustainable solutions to boost the nation’s sanitation landscape.

Shettima, who underscored the significance of hygiene, health and its impact on development and wealth, urged the committee to “align with broader government priorities and interventions in areas such as poverty reduction, education, and economic growth.”

He said the recently reported cases of cholera in the country should serve as sufficient motivation for the committee to work harder, just as he directed members of the committee to “craft solutions to handle wastewater management, contaminated water sources, and open defecation” across the country.

He also expressed confidence that members of the team “will commit to research-driven approaches in our bids to deliver on our promise to make the nation clean.”

“We are well aware that achieving this objective begins with our collective resolve to embrace behavioral change and cultivate a lifestyle that prioritizes proper sanitation practices, hygiene education, and community engagement,” he said.

He said the goals and aspirations of the country could be best achieved by harnessing the resources available in the public and private sectors, especially by carrying out innovative research.

“The public sector cannot succeed in this campaign unless we engage and encourage private sector participation and invite innovative and sustainable solutions.

“We must partner by utilizing technology for real-time monitoring, data collection, and impact assessment while recognizing the role of youth and women in driving change,” he said.

He tasked the committee to be vigilant in its assignment as it develops solutions to the devastations of climate change, urbanisation, and population growth.

Also speaking, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Cholera epidemic is ravaging the country in 33 states, with 2,000 cases and 33 deaths.

He said the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its last meeting, also commissioned a cabinet committee to deal with the issue.

“That cabinet committee comprises Water, Education, Environment, Aviation, and almost all the relevant ministries. Open defecation is part of the drivers of this Cholera outbreak that we are seeing. But we also have a good example of a sub-national unit doing very well in Jigawa State, which has been declared open defecation-free.

“That is a good example showing that sub-national units can help us address this issue. So, we really appreciate your leadership and commit ourselves to supporting this effort so that we can end open defecation in Nigeria,” he said.

Presenting a report on ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign’, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said the report covers challenges and successes since its establishment in 2016 and was inaugurated and signed into law in 2019.

He said the campaign was a transformative initiative to eradicate open defecation in Nigeria in the year 2025.

He said the campaign was aimed at getting all stakeholders to join and tackle open defecation which currently ranked Nigeria as the second largest country that practices open defecation in the world, next to India.

He said the 2018 Water and Sanitation Hygiene national outcome revealed that approximately 47 million Nigerians, constituting 23% of the population, engaged in open defecation.

The minister highlighted the objectives of the campaign to include a nationwide campaign, mobilizing support and resources at the national and sub-national levels to fight the menace.