Water Aid Nigeria in collaboration with Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), has trained Toilet Business Owners in the 11 wards of Tafawa Balewa local government area in a move to combat indiscriminate open defecation in the area.
The project, powered by Sanitation Hygiene Fund, aims to sensitise people on the need to build modern toilet facilities in their homes, targeting at least 743 communities across Tafawa Balewa local government area.
At a sensitisation meeting with Tafawa Balewa local government council in Bununu, the project monitoring and evaluation officer of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) of the local government, Malam Kamalu Umar, said Tafawa Balewa, Misau and Jama’are are the three local governments that are currently benefiting from the project in Bauchi State to ensure that they become open defecation-free.
Umar highlighted that addressing the menace of open defecation and building smart toilet facilities is a panacea to tackle toilet infectious diseases and other health challenges related to poor sanitary environment.
To achieve this, he said, Water Aid Nigeria in collaboration with Bauchi RUWASSA will spend about N2 billion to provide water facilities to the communities that embrace the programme stressing that managing toilet facilities requires adequate water supply.
Speaking on behalf of the Toilet Business Owners, Mr Dintui Irimiya, said there is a huge opportunity in the toilet business that if property harnessed, more than N5 billion would be realised in Tafawa Balewa local government from the toilet business alone hence the need for the council members to sensitise their constituents to key into the programme.
The chairman of Tafawa Balewa local government, Alhaji Sama’ila Wakili, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Maigari Ahmad Jambil, thanked Water Aid Nigeria and RUWASSA for finding the local government worthy of benefitting from the project. He promised that the local government council would support the project in whatever capacity for the overall benefits of the people.