Environment
Expert Seeks Strong Punitive Measures Against Open Defecation
An environmentalist, Mr Gafar Odubote, says it will be difficult to eradicate open defecation until strong punishments are meted on offenders.
Speaking with The Tide source in Lagos recently Odubote, Network Coordinator, Africa Region Let’s Do It World (LDIW), also called for increased awareness on the dangers of open defecation to health.
He said introduction of stiffer penalties by different levels of government against offenders would serve as deterrent to others.
“When people are being punished and fined for indiscriminate open defecation, it is then we will notice a shift in attitude as regards the practice,
According to the environmentalist, Nigeria ranked high amongst nations with open defecation practices simply because of the lack of adequate awareness on its dangers to health.
He noted that those who had the awareness were obstinate when cautioned.
Odubote noted also that Nigeria had an estimated 46 million people defecating openly.
“With a country like ours, with a vast population, we need to appropriately sensitise citizens on the dangers of open defecation to human health and the environment.
“We need strong laws and effective system to curb unsanitary defecation and make Nigeria open defecation-free by 2025, as projected by the federal ministry of water resources, in its road map of 2019.
“We have a lot to do to discourage open defecation practices in Nigeria. We need to put adequate laws and punishments in place to stop open defecation in the country.
“We are aware of activities in place by various governments and NGOs to stop open defecation.
“ Open defecation is one of the origins of waste pollution in the environment. It ranges from air, land, and most especially water pollution,’’ he said.
Odubote emphasised the need to install strong disciplinary measures against defaulters to be able to checkmate the menace.
“Open defecation also has negative effects on the aesthetics of our environment. It erodes the beauty of the environment and increases stench in the atmosphere.
“Open defecation practice is an attitudinal problem because some Nigerians will know readily that something is bad and injurious to their health and that of others, yet they will still do it,’’ he said.
Odubote asked authorities to also provide adequate and regularly maintained sanitary toilet services, so that the campaign to make Nigeria open defecation-free could be attained.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.