Abuja: Stakeholders in Nigeria's sanitation sector have called for a shift towards Market-Based Sanitation (MBS) as a more effective means of improving access to safe and dignified toilets across the country. With Nigeria struggling to meet its Open Defecation-Free (ODF) targets, experts say MBS could be instrumental in accelerating progress towards healthier and cleaner environments for millions of citizens.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, at a high-level seminar held in Abuja, officials from tiers of government, development partners, and civil society organizations gathered to assess the country's sanitation efforts and explore private sector-led solutions. Mr. Shadrach Guusu, Head of Programmes at Self Help Africa, described the seminar as a strategic engagement for the sector. He emphasized the need for collaboration among government bodies, civil society, private actors, and development partners to scale MBS in Nigeria.
Guusu highlighted the necessity to evaluate current efforts and adopt new insights from global experts such as Population Services International (PSI) to reach the 2030 target. He noted that MBS aims to provide communities, especially underserved ones, with improved toilet facilities through sustainable private sector-driven models. Despite ongoing initiatives, inadequate sanitation remains widespread in various public and private spaces across the country.
The seminar formed part of the WASH Systems for Health Project, being implemented in Cross River and Kano states with other stakeholders. Mr. Chukwuma Nnanna from the Toilet Pride Initiative explained that their work aims to address poor sanitation and lack of accessible toilet options. He noted that open defecation is not only due to poverty but also due to lack of awareness about affordable toilet options. Toilet Pride seeks to bridge this gap by connecting households to suitable products and reliable installers.
The seminar also featured global experts from PSI, who shared lessons from over a decade of experience in strengthening sanitation markets. Mr. John Sauer, Deputy Director of PSI's WASH Programmes, emphasized the importance of market development and knowledge exchange. He expressed confidence that Nigeria could fast-track universal access to safe sanitation through market-driven approaches.
Mrs. Iquo Bassey from the Cross River Rural Water and Sanitation Agency noted challenges in sustaining ODF achievements in some local government areas. She expressed hope that the meeting would promote long-term sustainability in sanitation through shared learning. Despite the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet campaign launched in 2019, over 48 million Nigerians still practice open defecation, and experts warn the country may miss its 2030 SDG 6 deadline without a major strategy shift.