Nigeria set to overtake India in open defecation rankings

Nigeria is set to overtake India in open defecation rankings. This is according to a statement made by Minister for Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.

Adamu made this known at the 3rd Founder’s Day ceremony of Edo University, Iyamho with the theme:Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Sustained Development. 

In a report by The Punch, the Minister who was represented at the event by the Managing Director of Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority,  Ahmed Saliu, disclosed that Nigeria is set to overtake India in open defecation rankings because it was unable to attain the Millennium Development Goals targets  for  water supply and sanitation  over poor investments, low capacity and other challenges.

Nigeria will become the No. 1 open defecation practising country when India becomes open defecation free in October. Access to sanitation has been on the decline from 30 per cent in 2010 to 28 per cent in 2015. Open defecation has been on the increase and there was not a single LGA in Nigeria that is open defecation free.

It is estimated that more than 48 million Nigerians practise open defecation and that placed Nigeria as the second in the world (behind India). So far there are 10 LGAs in the country that have attained open defecation free status, the Minister added.