Environment Minister Urges Prioritization of Hygiene, Elimination of Open Defecation to Combat Emerging Diseases
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has emphasized that prioritizing sanitation, hygiene, and putting an end to open defecation is crucial to combating emerging and re-emerging diseases in the country.
The Minister stated this at the commemoration of the 2025 National Environmental Sanitation Day recently held in Lafia, the Nasarawa State.
According to him, poor sanitation has severe consequences, including increased disease burden, economic losses, water and soil contamination, and long-term environmental degradation, ultimately undermining public health and sustainable development.
Represented by the Director II, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs. Omotunde Adeola, he emphasized that the emergence of diseases like COVID-19, cholera, monkeypox, yellow fever, and dengue fever highlights the critical role of sanitation and hygiene in the prevention and control of disease outbreaks.
Across our communities, Lawal said, “we continue to face the challenges of preventable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, and malaria—ailments that thrive in conditions of poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene”
He disclosed that large number of children die yearly due to sanitation and hygiene related diseases, and more than 3.5 million children suffer from diarrhoea related diseases in Nigeria.
The Minister decried the use of unhealthy sanitary facilities, noting that improper sewage systems can contaminate water sources, soil, and air, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
Balarabe stated that to promote healthy hygiene practices in the country, the Ministry has in collaboration with key stakeholders reviewed and updated the 2005 National Environmental Sanitation Policy and its implementation Guidelines, obtained FEC approval for National Solid Waste Management Policy, launched the National Policy for Antimicrobial Resistance for the Environment Sector, ensured the C onstruction of public toilets across the nation to curb open defecation menace and ongoing awareness creation and sensitization on the dangers of open defecation, among others
Aligning with the *Renewed Hope Agenda* of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration, Lawal urged Nigerians to commit to proper waste disposal, avoid indiscriminate dumping of cabbages, and take ownership of their surroundings and sanitary facilities.
The Minister commended the Nasarawa State Government, Inter-Ministerial Committee on National Environmental Sanitation Day, and key stakeholders for their commitment to safe sanitation and hygiene, concluding, ‘Clean environments are the product of sustained effort, vigilance, and community spirit.'”
Dr. Stephen Ohize, Regional Coordinator of GTFCC Country Support Platform, Lake Chad Hub, IFRC, pledged his organization’s support for the government’s cholera control ambitions outlined in the National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control (NSPACC).
The Red Cross family, he noted, shares this commitment to advancing sanitation and hygiene as a cornerstone of disease prevention.
In her vote of thanks, the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Environment, Engr. Bahijjatu Abubakar reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to achieving SDGs 3 and 6 by 2030, focusing on good health, well-being, clean water, and sanitation.
The Director who was ably represented by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ibrahim Haruna praised the Nasarawa State Government for mobilizing stakeholders, including community leaders and youth groups, to participate in the sanitation campaign, describing it as a step towards a cleaner, healthier environment for all.
