World Water Day: Plateau State Launches “Clean Plateau, Use the Toilet Campaign

Plateau State Government has launched a campaign tagged” Clean Plateau: Use the Toilet Campaign” at an event to commemorate 2025 World Water Day in Jos, the State capital.

The event which was held at Eliel event center, Gold& base, Rayfield Jos, after a campaign walk from Air force roundabout to the venue had the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang as well as other stakeholders in the Water Sector within and outside Plateau State in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, the Commissioner for Health, emphasized on preserving water sources in the state and protecting the environment and natural resources for the benefits of all Plateau citizens.

Governor said it’s unacceptable that the citizens lack access facility for defecation which is very critical.

He said the state have taken steps to sustain water supply across local governments and promoting sanitation and hygiene through Water and Sanitation officers in collaboration with World Bank among other measures.

In a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Bashir Lawandi, enumerated some of the strategies adopted to address water and sanitation crisis in the state and to achieve the clean Plateau, use the toilet campaign.

Among the strategies according to the Commissioner was the released of funds by the state government for the rehabilitation of water treatment plants across the state and the strengthening of Water and Sanitation activities across the local government areas of the state.

National Coordinator of Clean Nigeria Campaign, Chizoma Opara, represented by Mr. Abu Godwin said 14 million Nigerians practice open defecation and that Plateau State accounts for 56% prevelence of open defecation and second state in the country behind Ebonyi State.

The Clean Nigeria Campaign Coordinator urged all stakeholders to take ownership of the campaign to achieve the set goal.

Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Unicef, Bauchi Field Office, said Plateau State is 5 years behind in the campaign as the initial campaign is to end open defecation in 2025, but was optimistic that with the launch of the campaign, by 2030 Plateau State will gather and congratulate themselves for achieving an open defecation free state.

She said 2 LGAs in Plateau State namely , Riyom and Shendam are almost on the way to be open defecation free respectively.

Speaker House of Assembly, represented by House Committee Chairman on Water Resources, Hon. Owen Dagogol urged the people to be the ambassadors of clean Plateau. He appealed to all MDAs to implement those things they brought to them and they past into budget.

There was a display by cultural troupe from Tudun Wada, one of the communities with acute water scarcity in Jos, creating awareness on what need to be done to achieve the desired goal.

Panelists in a discussion session attributed Cultural norms, economic factors as some of the reasons for open defecation and also proffer solutions in addressing the menace.

Expert also suggested that no building should be approved without a sufficient toilet by the authority concerns and also called on community and religious leaders to champion the campaign.

The theme for this year’s World Water Day was “Glacier Preservation”.