Federal Govt Raises Fresh Concerns Over Nigeria’s Sanitation Deficit, Disease Risks

Nigeria’s struggle with poor sanitation has come under renewed scrutiny, with the Federal Government warning that inadequate access to functional toilet facilities continues to expose citizens to preventable diseases, environmental pollution and serious public health hazards.

The government disclosed that access to improved sanitation facilities remains below 36 per cent for the majority of Nigerians, raising concerns over the persistence of open defecation and poor waste disposal practices across communities and public institutions.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said the situation was particularly troubling in markets, motor parks, schools and other public spaces where the absence of adequate toilet facilities creates conditions for contamination of food and water sources and the spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

Lawal spoke in Abuja during a ministerial briefing to mark the 2026 World Toilet Day, themed “Sanitation and Gender Equality,” with the campaign message, “Safe Toilets. Equal Futures.”

Represented by the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs Omotunde Adeola, the minister maintained that sanitation must be treated as a fundamental public health and environmental priority rather than a basic household convenience.

He said the consequences of inadequate sanitation extend beyond disease outbreaks, particularly affecting women and girls, children, older persons and people living with disabilities, whose access to education, employment, safety and social participation could be restricted by the absence of suitable toilet facilities.

According to him, the inability of schools and public institutions to provide safe and accessible toilets places additional burdens on vulnerable groups, stressing that sanitation facilities must guarantee privacy, security and dignity for everyone.

The minister also drew attention to the global dimensions of the crisis, revealing that approximately 4.5 billion people worldwide lack safely managed sanitation, while 892 million continue to practise open defecation.

To reverse the trend in Nigeria, he said the Federal Ministry of Environment was pursuing a combination of public sanitation programmes, institutional capacity building and private sector partnerships to improve access to environmentally sustainable toilet facilities.

Among the initiatives are the Clean and Green Programme and Community-Based Waste Management and Open Defecation Control Programme, alongside training of Environmental Health Officers in faecal sludge management and toilet design.

He added that the ministry was integrating sanitation into climate adaptation and circular economy programmes to encourage waste reuse, energy recovery and more sustainable environmental management.

As part of efforts to strengthen sanitation governance, Lawal announced plans for a National Dialogue on Faecal Sludge Management involving seven selected states across the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.

The proposed dialogue, he explained, would provide an opportunity for participating states to examine their sanitation challenges, assess ongoing interventions and develop practical recommendations for improving the collection, transportation, treatment, disposal and reuse of faecal waste.

He called on state and local governments to strengthen sanitation infrastructure and management systems, while urging private investors to explore opportunities in affordable sanitation technologies and climate-resilient facilities.

The minister also appealed to households and community leaders to discourage open defecation, promote handwashing and maintain proper waste disposal practices, insisting that government efforts alone could not resolve the country’s sanitation challenges.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mallam Salihu Aminu Usman, said the annual World Toilet Day, designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, was established to draw global attention to the sanitation crisis and accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal Six on clean water and sanitation.

Represented by the Deputy Director and Head of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Rita Okea, the Permanent Secretary said inadequate sanitation disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly in schools, workplaces and underserved communities, where the absence of private and accessible toilets undermines their health, security and dignity.

He urged governments, development partners, civil society organisations, businesses and communities to strengthen collaboration towards ending open defecation and expanding access to safe, inclusive and sustainable sanitation facilities.

The 2026 World Toilet Day will be commemorated on November 19, with community sensitisation activities and sanitation advocacy campaigns scheduled to take place across the country.