The Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in over 1,400 communities within Bauchi Local Government Area (LGA).

General Manager of the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Adamu Sabo, disclosed this development in an interview with journalists on Monday.

He noted that Bauchi LGA is now the ninth in the state to attain ODF status, joining Dass, Warji, Shira, Gamawa, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Toro, and Katagum LGAs.

Sabo credited the success to UNICEF’s support, which included technical and financial assistance, as well as community sensitization, capacity building, and the establishment of sanitation facilities across the state.

“We engaged over 1,400 communities in Bauchi LGA alone, facilitating discussions and educating them about the health risks of open defecation. This spurred collective action to construct improved latrines and end the practice,” Sabo said.

According to him, traditional and religious leaders played a vital role in community mobilization, advocating for behavioral change and supporting collective action.

To sustain the ODF status, he said RUWASSA partnered with microfinance institutions to provide households with soft loans for building improved toilets, facilitated through Toilet Business Owners (TBOs) adding that sanitation by-laws were also introduced to penalize defaulters and ensure compliance.

Sabo emphasised the importance of community engagement through structures like WASH Committees, Village-Level Operation and Maintenance teams, and Volunteer Hygiene Promoters.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Bauchi LGA, Mahmood Babamaaji, has affirmed the council’s commitment to sustaining the ODF status.

Speaking to journalists, he detailed ongoing strategies, including increased funding for the WASH Unit, monitoring sanitation infrastructure, and enforcing penalties for non-compliance.

“We’ve adopted a sustainability framework to guide our efforts in the short, medium, and long term. Adequate funding, community sensitization, and collaboration with stakeholders remain our priorities,” Babamaaji said.

Bauchi Govt, UNICEF achieve ‘Open Defecation Free’ status in 1,400 communities