Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Ministry of Environment has pledged to collaborate with residents and local authorities in the Nyanya–Mararaba axis to eradicate open defecation, a practice that poses serious health and environmental risks.
Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Dr Bahijjahtu Abubakar, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
“The ministry will work with all stakeholders in both the FCT and Nasarawa areas to identify and address affected locations,” Abubakar said.
She noted that open defecation contributes to air and water pollution, releasing methane gas that accelerates climate change and ozone layer depletion.
“We are concerned not just about hygiene, but also the environmental implications of unchecked waste disposal,” she explained.
Abubakar said the ministry, in collaboration with environmental health officers, would intensify routine sanitary inspections, enforce regulations, and prosecute defaulters to ensure cleaner communities.
“Our goal is to make Nyanya and Mararaba models of environmental cleanliness through community participation and law enforcement,” she added.
The Federal Government had earlier launched a ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ campaign aimed at ending open defecation nationwide by 2025. Officials say partnerships with state governments and residents remain crucial to meeting the target.
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