NIGERIA LOSES N455bn ANNUALLY TO POOR SANITATION – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund on Monday stated that Nigeria lost $1.3bn (N455bn) annually to poor sanitation.

According to the Chief of WASH in UNICEF, Zaid Jurji, the N455bn annual loss due to poor sanitation, constituted one per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Products.

He argued that if Nigeria lost N455bn each year due to lack of sanitation and needed only N95.9bn per year to eliminate open defecation, the economic gains could be about $1.026bn (N359.1bn) each year.

Jurji said the Federal Government would need N234bn for the realisation of open defecation-free Nigeria by 2025.

He stated these in his paper titled ‘Sustainability of the water, sanitation and hygiene programmes and ending open defecation in Nigeria,’ during the opening ceremony of a two-day media dialogue on European Union Niger Delta Water Project.

The event was organised by UNICEF and Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, supported by EU.

He also said Dass and Warji in Bauchi State and Obaniku in Cross River were the only three local government areas in Nigeria out of the 774 LGAs that had attained the ODF status.

Jurji said, “Nigeria loses $1.3bn annually due to poor sanitation. This constitutes one per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. Open defecation costs Nigeria over $1bn a year, the GDP of Gambia. Losses are due to premature deaths, health-care costs, and reduced time and productivity.

“If Nigeria loses N455bn each year due to the lack of sanitation and needs only N95.9bn per year to eliminate open defecation, the economic gains could be about $1.026bn (N359.1bn) each year.”

Speaking on what should be done to eliminate open defecation, the UNICEF chief said it required estimated total investment of N959bn, including household costs of N725bn and government cost of N234bn.

He said, “N234bn is needed for the realisation of ODF Nigeria by 2025. Sanitation needs to be prioritised on the federal and state governments’ agenda and declared a state of emergency. The government should initiate bills/laws to promote sanitation and take urgent action to implement open defecation roadmap.

“Separate budget line for sanitation and ODF campaign must be allocated by state and federal governments. The government, legislators, civil societies, and community leaders must ensure the timely release, efficient targeting and transparent/accountable spending of sanitation budgets.”

BOKO HARAM KILLS ABDUCTED RED CROSS HEALTH WORKER/MIDWIFE IN BORNO STATE.

Boko Haram terrorists have killed one of the health workers kidnapped from Kala-Balge, Borno State.

Saifura Khorsa, a 25-year-old midwife with the International Committee of Red Cross was kidnapped along with two other health workers in Rann, Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State in March this year.

In a statement signed by the spokesman for the ICRC, Aleksandra Mosimann, on Monday, the organisation described the action as sad and called for the immediate release of the two others still in captivity.

The statement read, “The International Committee of the Red Cross condemns in the strongest terms the tragic killing of its abducted colleague Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa.

“It is appealing to the armed group to immediately release a second ICRC midwife and another health-care worker taken in North-Eastern Nigeria in March.”

The statement quoted Eloi Fillion, the head of the ICRC delegation in Abuja, describing the murder as devastating.

Fillion said, “Saifura moved to Rann to selflessly help those in need. Our thoughts are with her family and other loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“At the time of their abduction, Saifura, as well as our colleague Hauwa Mohammed Liman and Alice Loksha, a nurse working in a UNICEF-supported centre, were providing essential antenatal care to communities in Rann, whose population has more than doubled after an influx of people fleeing the violence.

“We urge those still holding our colleague Hauwa and Alice to release these women. Like Saifura, they are not part of the fight. They are a midwife and a nurse. They are daughters, a wife, and a mother – women with families that depend on them.

“Their families and friends miss them dearly and will not give up the hope of seeing them again soon. There is no ideology or religious law that could justify doing any harm to them."