Tackling The Menace Of Open Defecation

Open Defecation

Tope Balogun, an eighteen-year-old with remarkable singing abilities lies critically ill in a General Hospital just outside of Akure, the Ondo State capital. Balogun’s dream of one day touring the globe with his own brand of juju music seems rather unlikely as Doctors race against time to save his life. Balogun, an indigene of Ilara-Mokin, a town located in a central part of Ifedore Local Government Area (LGA) in Ondo State, is a big King Sunny Ade (KSA) admirer.

This aspiring musician was diagnosed with Cholera having contracted the deadly disease from drinking contaminated water. Will Tope live out his dreams? Will he bring joy to the world through music? Tope’s fate now hangs in a balance as he failed to seek medical attention on time. Interestingly, this contamination which now threaten Tope’s life and lives of many innocent Children in his community, is one of the major fallouts of open defecation.

So, what exactly is open defecation? To put it quite succinctly, it is the human practice of defecating outside (in the open environment) rather than into a lavatory. At the moment, Nigeria ranks second among nations with highest prevalence of open defecation. According to the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), open defecation remains a big challenge as only three of the 774 LGAs are open defecations free.

World Bank figures show that the Federal Government needs to invest about N2.88 trillion to effectively tackle the menace. Meanwhile, global health agencies have stressed that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous needs investment in open defecation to attain Goal 6 of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. In recent times, health practitioners have continued to voice their concern over open defecation.

They also emphasised the need for the government to initiate pragmatic measures to curb the unwholesome practice which could ignite an outbreak of deadly diseases. Ondo State under the leadership of Rotimi Akeredolu has broken the silence on open defecation and currently give sanitation the priority attention it deserves. In keeping with its promise to continually enhance the health and overall wellbeing of communities where it operates, Fidelity Bank recently donated three fully equipped sanitary facilities to the Ondo State Government.

The facilities constructed by the Bank at Aquinas College, Democracy Park and Arakale Motor Park, all in the Akure metropolis, will enable the host communities maintain better sanitary conditions, improve their standard of living which will ultimately lead to better productivity and economic growth. Working in conjunction with the Ondo State Ministry of Environment, the bank also drilled boreholes and provided generators to power the facilities thus, ensuring that the project have a lasting impact on the communities.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, commended the bank for maintaining strong and healthy community relations, adding that through the project, Fidelity Bank has addressed one of the most pressing challenges in Akure. He pointed out that Ondo State was ranked poorly by international organisations like the UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the area of open defecation.

“It is a malaise that we are facing in Akure. Access to toilet is a major indicator of economic development in any country. Open defecation and lack of sanitation and hygiene are important factors that cause various diseases. This is why we have every reason to thank Fidelity Bank for these facilities,” he explained. The governor, however pledged that his administration would work closely with the bank in the attainment of its developmental objectives.

In his opening remarks, Fidelity Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nnamdi Okonkwo, expressed appreciation to the governor and people of Ondo State for affording the bank an opportunity to give back to the society. Represented by the Bank’s executive director, Lagos and south- west, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Okonkwo said the initiative was in fulfilment of the objectives of the Fidelity Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philosophy which rests on a tripod: The Environment, Education and Health.

“We donated these projects in support of the good works of His Excellency, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu and we pledge that this will be on an ongoing basis as we believe very strongly that the relationship between ourselves and Ondo State is a perpetual one,” he explained.