It is common to see people defecating in the open in major cities across Nigeria, including its commercial hub, Lagos and capital city of Abuja. If the situation is bad in the cities then imagine what obtains in the rural areas.

According to WaterAid, an international water charity organisation , only 9 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 200 million population has access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Specifically, the organisation says, 112 million Nigerians, representing 56 per cent of the population lack decent toilets, while another 46 million or 23 per cent of the population practice open defecation.

As governments and development partners escalate collaboration to address the challenge posed by open defecation, some communities have initiated community-based efforts to augment their efforts

A recent visit to Madiya, a community seven kilometers away from Biu town in Borno, Local Area Mechanics (LAMs) are carrying out repairs on a broken down borehole facility.

On inquiry, Mohammed Usman, 35 year-old LAM said the facility’s  oil seal was broken hence it cannot pump water.

In a matter of few minutes, the damaged seal was replaced, the issue was resolved and again water flowed.

The facility tour by the media was meant explore what Biu and Shani Local Government Areas did to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) by the National Task Group on Sanitation.

The Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), in partnership with UNICEF trained selected volunteers in focal Local Government Areas (LGAs).

This is part of its efforts to ensure sustainability of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities  and encourage its ownership by the Communities.

The training was designed to equip participants with skills to carry out repairs of broken down boreholes in the communities.

With this, village level operation and maintenance of these boreholes is achieved, without having to wait for the state government or its development partners to fix them.

According to Usman, “I am happy to contribute to the development of my community. It is sad to see community members suffering in their efforts to get water’’

For Mariam Ibrahim, a mother of four, being a member of LAM, has been a blessing and gives some sense of fulfillment.

Ibrahim said the joy of seeing happy faces, especially the children, whenever any broken down borehole is fixed in cannot be quantified.

For Garba Julde, a member of the community, who also doubles as the Secretary of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASHCOM), set up through UNICEF interventions, through the efforts of LAM members water supply is now regular in the area.

He said this has led to an improvement in quality of life for the populace.

Julde said households with difficulty in constructing their toilets were supported to do so and, expressed gratitude to RUWASSA, UNICEF and other partners for their efforts.

In Walama community in Shani LGA, the presence of functional water facilities and toilets has improved health outcomes for the community, according to residents

At a visit to a community member, Emmanuel Some, showed that the a clean environment and free from feces stench because members of the household no longer dash into the nearby bush to defecate.

The pour-flush toilet in use was the Satopans, which uses minimal water and has automatic fly-proof mechanism to keep flies away.

According to Some, open defecation free awareness has been of benefit to his household and his community, adding that  with  the water facilities, life has become better.

“ The anti-open defecation campaign has helped in stopping the practice in this community.

“Those who have the means constructed soak away toilets while those who cannot afford it have constructed pit toilets.

“Before now, we use to share the stream with animals, but now with and the construction of the borehole by UNICEF and its partners, has helped to improve sanitation and hygiene habits among the people of this community’’, Some told the visiting team.

According to Mohammed Walama, District Head of Walama, his community took ownership, operation and maintenance of the solar-powered borehole and other water facilities.

This, he said, was to ensure access to potable water and to encourage hygiene practices for the benefit of all.

“We have given stern warnings that no one should defecate in the open. We have also enacted a Bye-law which attracts a fine when violated”, he told the newsmen

At the Walama Primary Health Care Centre, records provided by the Facility Manager, Mr Yunana Some, revealed that there was a huge reduction in water-related infections and deaths due to access to potable water.

Some said prior to the installation of the solar powered borehole by UNICEF and RUWASSA, water was bought from vendors, adding that it was usually inadequate to meet the water needs of the health centre.

“It has helped our health facility to have clean water to attend to patients and also clean the toilets, and the environment. Before now, we used to buy water from the town and it was not enough’’, Some said.

While the communities have been doing a lot of self-help it is important that they are not forced to carry the larger part of the burden.

Therefore, Ms Phuong Nguyen, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Northeast Nigeria, Borno Government says the state government must take all necessary measures to ensure that ODF status recorded in the two local governments were replicated in other parts of the state.

Nguyen said Open defecation was a threat to child survival, particularly for those who live in communities affected by conflict.

Nguyen said the declaration of Biu and Shani as open defecation-free is a gift to vulnerable children and families.

It is important to bear in mind that becoming open defecation-free is a journey, and not a destination. There are key elements of this journey that we must maintain.

“These include a sustained access to safely managed water and improved toilets both at the household and institutional levels.

“In Biu, Shani and elsewhere in Borno, government must lead and invest more in water, sanitation and hygiene facilities’’, she said

The UN official said for Biu and Shani to maintain their ODF status, key elements of the construction of toilets in institutions such as schools, health centres and markets must be sustained.

She said households must be supported to maintain their improved toilets just as access to safe water for households and public institutions must be sustained.

“We must invest more to strengthen sustainability efforts, including sensitisation on hygiene services. Communities must be accountable in the protection and maintenance of WASH facilities”, she said.

As explained by Alhaji Babagana Saad, Acting General Manager, Borno RUWASSA, achieving the feat was not easy.

He said the key factors involved the success story included joint funding of projects by the government and development partners as well as other sacrifices by the partners to ensure that it succeeded.

The general manager said traditional leaders also played their part in encouraging the community members to embrace ownership of WASH facilities.

“RUWASSA will work with respective stakeholders to champion the enactment of laws to upgrade the current LGA WASH Units to WASH department.

“This is to make them independent to be able facilitate the attainment and sustaining the ODF status in all the LGAs in the state.

UNICEF WASH Specialist, Mr Lonis Salihu, said the organisation was using the ‘No one is Left Behind’ advocacy to ensure that communities imbibed the behaviour  change approach to build and use their toilets.

Salihu said Borno had shown the possibility to become  be declared ODF state through its commitment, strategies and funding mechanisms.

On the business side,  the WASH specialist said that sanitation had seen business expansions for toilet business owners.

Sanitation experts say if Nigeria would end open defecation, the right place to start from is the grassroots as the Borno example has shown.

They say there  is the need to support all states to ensure that all Local Governments in the country started  their Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) efforts.

According to them, this will not only augur well for the health and environmental wellbeing of the people, but for business owners, boost their incomes as sanitation markets expand.