Lagos Gov’t Declares Zero Tolerance Towards Open Defecation

The Lagos State Government has stated that it has a zero tolerance towards open defecation and urination in the state in order to eradicate it by 2025.

The state has, therefore, engaged public toilet operators to continually promote healthy sanitation practices in public toilet management across the state.

Speaking during the second edition of the training workshop for public toilet operators on Thursday, held at Ikeja, Lagos, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Omobolaji Gaji reiterated the state government’s determination to eradicate the menace of open defecation in the state by 2025.

He said that part of the objectives of the one-day training was to build capacity for toilet operators as well as to ensure a cleaner, more hygienic and safer public toilet environment in the state.

Gaji, represented by the Director of Sanitation Services, Dr. Hassan Sanuth said the state government has four cardinal points of operation which include: Advocacy; Regularization and standardization; Bridging the gap and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Enforcement, saying that the training workshop comes under regularization and standardization.

He said the training provides an opportunity for stakeholders to engage and communicate the government’s desire and requirements to operators in the sector, adding that the government in collaboration with other organisations remained determined to achieve zero-tolerance regulation for open defecation and urination.

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Gaji said, “In order to become successful in rendering services, learning new things must be a way of life, and mastery of the business brings Excellence, public toilet operators must engage in best practices in toilet management and must be properly trained by the approved body in line with government’s laid down rules.”

He recalled that the government inaugurated an anti-open defecation squad some years back, according to the environmental laws of the state for non-complying members of the public and as such toilet operators must adhere to proper toilet management to avoid any form of sanctions from the government.

Gaji, charged the toilet operators to always ensure proper handling of the toilets as this would help reduce government and individual expenditure on the treatment of diseases and thereby make more money available for other economic uses.

In his lecture titled “Public toilet provision management, a panacea to healthy living,” facilitator, Dr. Cyril Babasope, described public toilets as a convenient facility that plays an essential role in both human health and environmental health.

He said the vision of the Lagos State government to ensure adequate and conducive public toilets in the state was applaudable bearing in mind that 116 million out of the 250 million population of Nigeria do not have access to decent toilets.

Gaji urged for public toilet operators to collaborate with the government to eliminate the menace of open defecation by establishing toilets in accessible locations, training staff, using the appropriate tools, and using the legal waste disposal processes among others.