WORLD TOILET DAY: NIGERIA LOSES N455 BILLION ANNUALLY DUE TO POOR SANITATION.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this while speaking at the National Sanitation Conference in Abuja. Shettima emphasized sanitation’s role in health, dignity, and productivity. This comes against the backdrop of the celebration of the World. The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Sanitation in a Changing World’ as the United Nations reminds everyone that no matter what the future holds, we all need a clean toilet. Now this year’s theme also resonates the ‘SDG Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation’ the race to end open defecation by 2030. Its objectives emphasize providing safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation to all, enhancing water quality by minimizing pollution, significantly boosting water-use efficiency, and adopting comprehensive water resource management strategies. So far in Nigeria, 158 Local Government Areas including Katsina and Jigawa have achieved Open Defecation Free status. The proper use of toilets highlights the need to use it properly and observe hygiene that makes it safe for others to use it after us. Experts have linked improper use of toilet to the spread of food poisoning, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and urinary tract infection Hygiene experts advise as the world mark the World Toilet Day that we : 1. Clean the Toilet Seat 2. Wash Hands Thoroughly using the toilet Then: 1 Flush Properly 2 Use Toilet Seat Covers 3 Avoid Touching Surfaces: 4 Keep the Toilet Area Clean The World toilet awareness day started in 2001 by a Singapore based health organization and then was adopted by the UN in 2013.