By our reporter 19.11.2025
Over 45 million Nigerians still practice open defecation and Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal, has called for a reversal of the trend to improve environmental sanitation in the country.
Mr. Lawal was speaking in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 World Toilet Day, themed “Sanitation in a Changing World,” with the tagline “We’ll Always Need the Toilet.”
“The advent and access to toilets remain a foundation to public health and play an important role in protecting both people and the environment. They hygienically remove human waste, reduce exposure to diseases, and uphold dignity. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, toilets and the systems that support them remain underfunded, poorly managed, or neglected.
“Currently, about 4.2 billion people globally live without access to safe toilets, while in Nigeria, over 45 million people still practice open defecation, and only about 25 per cent of the population have access to safely managed sanitation facilities.
“Many schools, healthcare facilities, and public institutions either lack functional toilets or have facilities that are poorly managed. In urban areas, the absence of adequate sewerage systems has led to unsafe disposal of wastewater and sewage into rivers and streams, thereby contaminating our environment with resultant impact.”
He stated that the situation contributes significantly to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, and intestinal worm infections, which continue to claim lives, especially among children under five years of age.
He said poor sanitation also drives antimicrobial resistance and undermines Nigeria’s progress towards SDG 6.2, ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.
He, however, noted that the Federal Government is committed to tackling sanitation challenges and achieving an Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2030.