Environment
‘Nigeria Loses $1bn To Open Defecation, Annually’
A recent study carried out by the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) has revealed that Nigeria loses $1billion an equivalent of N155 billion to open defecation yearly.
The study, which had earlier indicated that Nigeria lost N455 billion equivalent to $2.93 billion, annually due to poor sanitation, also showed that 70 million Nigerians use shared latrines, while 32 million defecated in the open.
The Water and Sanitation Programme is a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe and sustainable access to water and sanitation services.
The study which deals on impacts of poor sanitation in Nigeria, was conducted by the programmes’s team in Africa;
It used objectively verified data sources and conservative numbers to estimate the economic impacts.
The study showed that the data used for the estimates were largely derived from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP).
The prototype review and concept was endorsed by Mr Benson Ajisegiri, Deputy Director, in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
It stated that “open defecation costs Nigeria $1billion per year and that eliminating the practice would require less than 6.5 million latrines to be built and used.
It stated that 70 million Nigerians use unsanitary or shared latrines and that the poorest was 10 times more likely to practice open defecation than the richest.
The study also indicated that each person practicing open defecation, spent almost 2.5 days a year finding a private location to defecate; leading to large economic losses.
It said that $243 million (N37.7 billion) was lost each year in access time and the cost fell inappropriately on women as caregivers, who might spend additional time accompanying young children, sick or elderly relatives.
“This cost is likely to be an underestimation as those without toilets, particularly women, will be obliged to find a private location for urination as well; also, $2.5 billion (N387.5 billion) is lost each year due to premature death.
It indicated that approximately, 121,800 Nigerians, including 87,100 children under five, died each year from diarrhea; nearly 90 per cent of which was directly attributed to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.
The study named poor sanitation as a contributing factor to other leading causes of child mortality, including malaria and measles.
It stated that “$13 million (N2.1 billion) is lost each year due to productivity losses whilst sick or accessing health care.
“This includes time absent from work or school due to diarrheal disease, seeking treatment from a health clinic or hospital, and time spent caring for under five children suffering from diarrhea or other sanitation-attributable diseases.’’
In costs quantified by the study, open defecation cost more per person than any other type of unimproved sanitation with the additional costs due mainly to the time taken to find a safe, private location for defecation.
Costs were also associated with shared sanitation, taking into consideration the time taken to reach and queue at a public latrine, as well as user-fees.
“Sanitation or lack thereof is a public health issue, and people are affected by their neighbours and communities’ sanitation status, as well as their own, and the costs of open defecation are felt throughout the community.
“Open defecation also has considerable social costs; loss of dignity and privacy or risk of physical attack and sexual violence may not be easily valued in monetary units.
“But these issues are the reality when sanitation facilities are not available,’’ the study stated.
The study indicated that the time costs for accessing the site of open defection and extra travel time was based on the expert opinion of over 25 sector specialists.
The study urged the Nigeria government to channel more resources into sanitation services by targeting investments to the poorest to address their sanitation needs.
It identified equity and uptake as particular bottlenecks along the service delivery pathway in both rural and urban sanitation.
“What needs to be done is to allocate higher investments to sanitation.
“Current sanitation investment in Nigeria is less than 0.1 per cent GDP which is lower than several estimates for what is required.
“Increased investments in sanitation and hygiene promotion are required not only to realise health and welfare benefits of sanitation, but also to avert large economic losses,’’ it said.
The study urged all sanitation agencies to prioritise the elimination of open defecation and propose low cost and effective ways of reducing the practice.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a seven-day flood advisory, warning of a medium flood risk in 17 states between July 21 and July 27.
The agency said the alert followed rising water levels at key river monitoring stations, increasing the likelihood of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains.
NIHSA Director-General, Umar Mohammed, disclosed this in National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200) issued on Tuesday.
He said the affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
According to Mohammed, river levels at Saminara on the Karam River, Waya Dam Site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River had exceeded watch and warning thresholds.
He said 16 gauging stations nationwide were recording elevated river stages, placing nearby communities at risk of localised flooding.
Mohammed urged state governments, local authorities and residents of flood-prone communities to take precautionary measures immediately.
NIHSA said Bauchi had the highest exposure, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities and eight markets identified as vulnerable.
The agency also identified vulnerable communities and public facilities in Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states.
Mohammed urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local governments and community leaders to activate emergency response plans.
He recommended relocating residents, livestock and valuables from floodplains to safer locations
He also advised emergency agencies to pre-position food, medical supplies and water treatment materials in areas likely to be affected.
“The NIHSA boss called for community mobilisation through early warning volunteers and local communication channels to ensure timely dissemination of flood alerts.
He cautioned residents against walking, driving or riding through flooded roads, bridges and fast-flowing waterway.
A cleaner environment begins with collective responsibility. That commitment was evident across Umuahia on Saturday as thousands of residents turned out to participate in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with officials describing the compliance level as one of the most encouraging in recent months.
The impressive turnout has renewed hope that Abia’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment is steadily becoming a culture rather than a routine exercise.
The July monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Umuahia recorded about 80% compliance.
The Abia State Ministry of Environment described the turnout as a strong indication that residents are embracing Governor Alex Otti’s vision for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment, while calling for the establishment of Neighbourhood Environmental Watch groups to sustain the momentum.
The Abia State Government has commended residents of Umuahia for their impressive participation in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing the turnout as a strong indication that citizens are embracing the state’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment.
Speaking after monitoring the exercise across major parts of the Umuahia metropolis, the Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ikechukwu Oriuwa, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance and urged residents to sustain the momentum.
According to him, the success recorded during the exercise reflects growing public support for the environmental agenda of the Labour Party-led administration.
“I think, so far, so good. At this point, what we need to do is sustain the momentum. We should move forward with establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch so that residents can monitor compliance and ensure the initiative is sustained,” he said.
Mr. Oriuwa further applauded both residents and the organisers for the success of the exercise.
“Well, I must say I am very impressed. I appreciate the organisers for putting this programme together. It has been highly impressive, and I believe participants have learnt a great deal. From what I have observed so far, everything has been well organised, and I think they are doing an excellent job. I encourage them to keep up the good work because programmes like this are beneficial to everyone,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that environmental sanitation should become a daily culture rather than an activity observed only on designated sanitation days.
Drawing from an Igbo proverb, he explained why communities must collectively protect their environment.
“An Igbo proverb says that a goat owned by the public often goes hungry. That is why establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch is important. It will encourage residents to take collective responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean and ensuring that sanitation efforts are sustained.”
He also urged government agencies to strengthen enforcement by deploying environmental health officers to carry out routine inspections and ensure compliance with sanitation laws.
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