FG raises alarm over poor toilet facilities, says only 36% have access to decent latrines

From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja

The Federal Government has expressed concern that only 36 per cent of Nigerians have access to decent toilet facilities, alerting Nigerians to the dangers associated with the situation.

Raising the alarm today in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 World Toilet Day, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, added that women and children are the worst hit in the risky situation.

Lawal, who was represented by the Deputy Director and Head, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Rita Okea, recalled that many public places, including markets, motor parks, schools and communities, still lacked adequate and functional toilet facilities.

He warned that the situation was contributing to open defecation, contamination of food and water sources, and the spread of sanitation-related diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

For him, inadequate sanitation poses serious threats to public health, environmental safety and human dignity, adding that women, girls, children, older persons and persons living with disabilities were particularly affected by the shortage of appropriate sanitation facilities.

The minister lamented that millions of people continue to lack access to safely managed sanitation facilities, while open defecation and poor sanitation practices pose significant risks to public health, environmental quality and human dignity.

These challenges, Lawal noted, disproportionately affect women and girls, particularly in schools, workplaces, public spaces and underserved communities, where the absence of safe, accessible and private toilet facilities can compromise their health, safety, dignity and participation in everyday activities.

“The theme for this year’s commemoration, ‘Sanitation and Gender Equality’, with the tagline ‘Safe toilets. Equal futures’, is both timely and significant. It draws attention to the important link between access to adequate sanitation and gender equality. It reminds us that safe, inclusive and accessible toilet facilities are essential to protecting the dignity, privacy, health and security of women and girls, while ensuring equal opportunities for all,” he said.

According to the minister, this year’s commemoration provides an opportunity to renew the government’s commitment to improving sanitation services, promoting inclusive sanitation facilities, strengthening environmental sanitation practices and accelerating progress towards ending open defecation in Nigeria.

“It also calls for stronger collaboration among all tiers of government, development partners, the private sector, civil society organisations and communities to address existing sanitation gaps,” he said.

Recall that the United Nations General Assembly designated 19 November of every year as World Toilet Day in 2013 to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis and promote action towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.