The challenges of implementation of open defecation policy in Nigeria

The challenges of implementation of open defecation policy in Nigeria

Open defecation refers to the practice whereby people go out into fields, bushes, forests, open bodies of water, or other open spaces, rather than using the toilet, to defecate.

As Nigeria joins the international community to mark World Toilet Day on the 19th of November, Reckitt Benckiser (RB), makers of leading toilet cleaning brand, Harpic, has described open defecation as a great drawback to global public health safety and economic growth.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), about 46 million people in Nigeria defecate in the open, with 56 million people estimated to be added to this open defecation crisis during the next ten years.

Dayanand Sriram, West Africa general manager Reckitt Benckiser said that Nigerians needed to join the world to end the menace of open defecation.

“It is important to know that, open defecation has become a global challenge to people, business and the environment. RB has always believed that societal challenges must be tackled head-on through a beneficial partnership between government and the private sector.”