By Silas Shentukwak Boi
The Bauchi State Government has flagged off an Open Defecation-Free (ODF) campaign and cholera prevention advocacy in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area to tackle poor sanitation and reduce the spread of preventable diseases in vulnerable communities.
The campaign, funded under the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) project and implemented by WaterAid Nigeria, was launched on Tuesday as part of efforts to improve hygiene practices and end open defecation across the state.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Sani Mohammed Dambam, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dauda Yakubu Mahmud, described the campaign as a major step toward reducing cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, and other sanitation-related diseases.
He said the initiative would strengthen public awareness, encourage behavioural change, and deepen collaboration among government agencies, traditional rulers, and community stakeholders in achieving open defecation-free communities.
According to him, Governor Bala Mohammed has directed several interventions to address sanitation-related health challenges and recurring cholera outbreaks in the state.
Speaking on behalf of WaterAid Nigeria, the State Task Team Lead, Mashat Mallo, represented by Business Development Officer Kasim Alex Shuaibu, called for stronger efforts to end open defecation and improve sanitation practices in Tafawa Balewa communities.
Mallo explained that the SHF project focuses on scaling up household sanitation facilities and improving hygiene services in public places such as markets, worship centres, and motor parks.
He said Tafawa Balewa was selected as one of the project hotspots because of its vulnerability to cholera outbreaks, adding that WaterAid had previously supported the Bauchi State Government in containing outbreaks in affected communities.
According to him, the project also promotes waste-to-wealth initiatives aimed at creating economic opportunities for women and girls through the conversion of sewage waste into organic fertiliser and biogas for cooking.
Mallo disclosed that only 21 out of the 806 communities in Tafawa Balewa had so far been certified as open defecation-free, describing the situation as a major concern in the fight against cholera and poor sanitation.
He identified sustainability and poverty as major challenges affecting the project, noting that many residents lack the financial capacity to construct basic sanitation facilities.
The Acting Managing Director of the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Bala Zailani, said 148 communities had passed third-level verification awaiting certification, while several others were at different verification stages.
Zailani, however, expressed concern that about 260 communities in the local government area are still practising open defecation, while the Gung Zaar, Mr. Marcus Koko Yake, pledged the support of traditional institutions toward sustaining improved sanitation practices across communities.
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