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Grace Edema
Towards ending open defecation in the state, the Lagos State Government has trained public toilet operators and janitors on new sanitation techniques and how to improve operational efficiency.
A statement made available to The PUNCH said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, stressed the government’s ongoing commitment to eradicate open defecation and other environmental nuisances.
He said the training would help to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and enhance social security throughout the metropolis.
Akodu acknowledged the crucial role played by janitors and public toilet operators, saying the need for capacity building to meet the challenges of service delivery aligned with the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus agenda of the current administration.
He said, “The training aimed to instill best practices in toilet management, with a strong focus on eliminating open defecation, in line with the Federal Government’s goal of achieving an open defecation-free Nigeria by 2025.
“The state government has adopted the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ campaign, launched in 2021, to support this objective.”
Akodu also pointed out that the campaign had been extended to the grassroots level and unveiled in 11 local government areas across the state.
This initiative complements ongoing sanitation advocacy programs in markets and communities statewide.
Akodu mentioned that enforcement officers had already begun arresting individuals defecating on the median along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway (Lagos axis), vowing that the offenders would face prosecution.
“To combat open defecation, the Lagos State Government has developed a four-point roadmap: Advocacy, Regularization and Standardisation, Bridging the Gap, and Monitoring and Evaluation. The training workshop falls under the Regularisation and Standardisation component and the ministry has released comprehensive operational guidelines for public toilet operations,” he said.
He also announced that the current administration planned to construct 100 public toilets across strategic locations in the state to address infrastructural gaps.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Environmental Services, Dr Tajudeen Gaji, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring good working conditions for toilet operators and janitors.
Represented by the Director of Sanitation Services, Dr Hassan Sanuth, Gaji said the workshop focused on promoting clean, safe, and hygienic toilet facilities and proper hygiene practices and sanitation techniques for public operators and janitors.
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