The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to adopt proper sanitation and hygiene practices and shun open defecation, warning that poor sanitary conditions contribute significantly to the spread of preventable diseases.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, made the call during the 2025 National Environmental Sanitation Day commemoration held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
In a statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Ibrahim Haruna, the Minister stressed that inadequate sanitation leads to increased disease outbreaks, economic losses, contamination of water and soil, and long-term environmental damage.
Represented by Mrs. Omotunde Adeola, Director II of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Lawal highlighted that recent outbreaks of diseases such as COVID-19, cholera, yellow fever, monkeypox, and dengue fever underscore the urgent need for improved sanitation.
“We continue to battle preventable diseases like cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, and malaria—conditions that flourish in unsanitary environments,” he said.
The Minister revealed that more than 3.5 million Nigerian children suffer from diarrhoea-related illnesses annually, with many deaths linked to poor hygiene and sanitation.
He also raised concerns about the use of unsafe sanitation facilities, noting that faulty sewage systems pose serious health risks by polluting water sources, soil, and air.
To tackle the challenges, Lawal outlined several government initiatives, including the revision of the 2005 National Environmental Sanitation Policy, Federal Executive Council approval of the National Solid Waste Management Policy, launch of the National Policy on Antimicrobial Resistance for the Environment Sector, and construction of public toilets nationwide to combat open defecation.
He added that the Ministry is actively engaging in public awareness campaigns to educate communities on the dangers of poor sanitation and the importance of hygiene.
The Minister praised the Nasarawa State Government, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on National Environmental Sanitation Day, and other key partners for their dedication to promoting environmental cleanliness.
“Clean environments are built through consistent effort, awareness, and collective action,” Lawal concluded.
