WTD: Bauchi Stakeholders Advocates For More Toilets In Public Places
By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
Stakeholders in the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector of Katagum local government area of Bauchi State have called for construction of toilets in Motor Parks and Markets under the Public Private Partnership arrangement, saying that the local government was able to achieve the status of Open Defecation Free (ODF) because residents of the area had access to hygienic toilets.
The stakeholders stated this during an assessment visit to a public toilet at the Central Market area in Azare town of Katagum local government. The visit was supported by UNICEF Bauchi Field Office to interact with the stakeholders of the community, the Toilet Business Owner and Users of the Public toilets as part of activities commemorating the World Toilet day celebrated on the 19th of November every year.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke with our reporter at the Azare Central Market area, stated how they were able to maintain a hygienic environment void of open Defecation, saying that continuous sensitization by WASH team in the area on the need for sanitation in contributed to the success recorded in the validation of a Open Defecation Free area.
Alhaji Auwal Aliyu who runs a toilet Business in the area, said that access to the toilets particularly in public places such a as motor parks and Market areas was very vital as people from within and outside the local government throng the area for business and other activities.
He said that the toilet he is currently operating was constructed in the year 2019 under a Public Private Partnership arrangement, adding that the toilet was designed to meet the needs of all users to include men, women and children.
“The toilet facility has separate compartments for men, women as well as for bathing areas.There is also provision of Solar powered boreholes for water supply in the toilet courtesy of an intervention of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).We operate this facility till 10 pm in the night and even if someone that wants to use the facility does have money, we allow him to use it for free.This part of our gesture to discourage defecating in the open,” he said.
Speaking during the visit, the Officer-in-Charge, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office,Dr Clement Adams, said that Public Private Partnership arrangement of toilet construction was effective way of ensuring that more people have access to public toilets, adding the more people have access to toilets, the less people defecate in the open.
“As partners, we are aware of this facility and it is one of the strategies being adopted by UNICEF and Federal government to build cost-effective, user-friendly public toilets.You cannot use only one strategy, you have to diversify, so we encourage more construction of toilet facilities such as this one across the state,” he said.
Also Speaking, the Acting General Manager of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Adamu Sabo said that the agency supported the Public Private Partnership construction of public toilets because it is effective to manage and gives the toilet operator a sense of commitment to keep the facility hygienic.
He said that last year, the water agency in the state conducted trainings for Toilet Business Owners in the twenty local government areas of the state so that they will be well equipped to man toilet facilities that will be constructed in local governments, adding that the state government is working on a new model of design of public toilets that will be user friendly and inclusive to everyone.
