By Naomi Nimmak
The Plateau State Government has flagged off a statewide campaign to end open defecation, targeting all 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as part of efforts to improve public health, promote environmental sanitation and achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across the state.
The campaign, themed “Clean Plateau, Healthy People: Every Household with a Toilet, Every Toilet Be Used,” seeks to mobilise communities, traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders towards ending open defecation and promoting the use of functional household toilets.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Bashir Lawandi, described open defecation as a major public health and environmental challenge that exposes communities to preventable diseases, contaminates water sources and undermines human dignity.
He called for collective action by government, traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to eliminate the practice, stressing that access to proper sanitation and consistent toilet use are essential to building healthier communities.
Lawandi disclosed that Riyom Local Government Area was validated as Open Defecation Free (ODF) on November 26, 2025, becoming the first LGA in Plateau State to attain the status.
He said the state government was working towards replicating the achievement across the remaining 16 LGAs, in line with the Federal Government’s Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign and the national target of ending open defecation by 2030.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with relevant agencies, including the Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA), Plateau State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PLAMWASSA), the World Bank-supported Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme and other development partners to strengthen sanitation interventions across the state.
In her remarks, the representative of the Ministry of Information and Communication, Mary Rwang, Director of Public Relations and Protocol, assured that the Ministry would provide the necessary publicity and public enlightenment to support the campaign and promote behavioural change among residents.
Also speaking, the Senior Ward Head of Angwan Abuja Riverside, Mr Atang Izang, described the campaign as timely and necessary, noting that open defecation remained a challenge confronting his community.
He explained that the practice contributes to environmental contamination, as flies can transfer disease-causing organisms from exposed faeces into homes and onto food, thereby exposing residents, particularly children, to preventable health risks.
The traditional leader, however, identified difficult terrain as one of the challenges preventing some households from constructing toilets, explaining that the rocky nature of the area makes the construction of conventional toilet facilities difficult.
He maintained that such environmental limitations should not deprive residents of access to proper sanitation, suggesting that appropriate toilet facilities could still be constructed on rocky terrain with adequate technical guidance and financial support from government.
Izang consequently appealed to the government to intervene by supporting affected households to overcome the environmental and infrastructural barriers limiting access to functional toilets.
The statewide campaign is expected to promote responsible sanitation practices, encourage households to construct and consistently use functional toilets, maintain clean surroundings and discourage open defecation in all its forms.
Ultimately, the initiative seeks to make access to and use of toilets a shared community responsibility, advancing Plateau State’s drive towards a cleaner, healthier and Open Defecation Free environment.
