Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has reaffirmed his administration’s dogged commitment to sustaining the Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status recently achieved by the State.
The governor said this when the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS) monitoring team paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Dutse, Jigawa State.
Governor Namadi described the visit as not only important but timely, stressing that the achievement of ODF status was no small feat, and sustaining it would require even greater effort, resources, and innovation.
“The open defecation-free (ODF) status we have attained was not an effortless feat. Attaining it is difficult, but sustaining it is even more challenging.
“I want to assure you that the Jigawa State Government has put in place comprehensive strategies, backed by strong commitment and resources, to ensure the sustainability of our ODF status,” he said.
He noted that the State had established a high-level Steering Committee and a Technical Committee comprising key permanent secretaries and professionals to oversee and monitor the sanitation and hygiene programme, noting that this underlines the State’s seriousness in maintaining cleanliness and public health standards.
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The governor announced that the State was constructing toilets in public schools and markets across the State, disclosing a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement for the maintenance of market toilets, where private managers would be offered subsidies in return for keeping the facilities clean and functional.
This approach, according to him, ensures accountability and preserves the investment in sanitation infrastructure.
“When it is managed by the private sector, they see it as a means of livelihood. They will maintain it better than if it is run by the government alone.
On the broader sanitation and environmental sustainability efforts, Governor Namadi mentioned that over 5 million trees were planted in the previous year, and the same target had been set for the current year, reiterating that every public outing by the governor now includes a component that promotes environmental protection.
