The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has taken its campaign against open defecation in the suburbs of the territory.

The director of the board, Osilama Braimah, stated this during the campaign at Bmuko and Dutse Makaranta in Bwari Area Council of the FCT on Tuesday.

Mr Braimah explained that the campaign was organised to commemorate the 2024 World Toilet Day, with the theme, ‘Toilets are a Place for Peace’.

According to him, the move is part of efforts to entrench good hygiene practices among rural dwellers across the FCT.

He said that the AEPB, through the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, had been organising awareness campaigns in rural communities across the FCT on the health risk of open defecation.

He stressed the need for every household to have a functional toilet and imbibe good hygiene practices for the health and well-being of families and communities.

He said that World Toilet Day was observed on November 19 of every year to celebrate toilets and raise awareness of people living without access to safely managed sanitation.

“The whole idea is to prevent health challenges such as cholera, diphtheria, diarrhoea, and other diseases associated with open defecation in communities. When people have access to clean and safe toilets, they are protected from preventable diseases associated with poor hygiene practices,” he said.

The director assured AEPB of its commitment to maintaining a clean, safe, and hygienic environment across the territory. 

In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, he added that the FCT Administration has been providing public toilets in schools, parks, markets and other public spaces to ensure accessible and dignified sanitation facilities for all.

Mr Braimah also said that the board was equally engaging school children in the campaign to catch them young.

Kate Ogbonna, a director at the Environmental Health and Safety Department, said access to clean and safe sanitation was a right of every individual.

Ms Ogbonna urged FCT residents to work with relevant government agencies and critical stakeholders to address communities’ sanitation crises through collaborative efforts, policy innovation and public awareness.

She said that the awareness campaign was organised to educate the residents of Bmuko and Dutse Makaranta on the need to own functional toilet facilities.

(NAN)