Lukman Olabiyi
The Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA) has partnered 
the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to celebrate World Toilet Day and campaign against open defecation. 
 
World Toilet Day is an official United Nations international observance day on November 19, to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. 
In a statement issued by CESDA’s chairman, Oluwaseyi Ogunko, the group declared it readiness to commission report of its brief study on open defecation and launch campaign against open defecation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 
 
Added that the campaign against open defecation and commission of its report which is slated for  Wednesday, November 25, would be done in collaboration with NURTW. 
The statement read: “As part of the activities to commemorate the world toilet day and  bid to campaign for safe, affordable and functional sanitation systems that are sustainable, and freeing the society of open defecation, the Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness will commission the report of its brief study on open defecation and launch its campaign against open defecation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday, 25th November, 2020. The program which is in collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW will kick start with cleaning up of Jabi Garage and the adjourning streets around the park.
This will be followed by sensitization campaign and training of environmental marshals and their monitors. The program will be rounded off by the inauguration of Advocacy Technical Team (ATT) whose responsibilities amongst others will see to the coordination of the Environmental Marshals and further engage identified stakeholders in order to further deepen the process.
Stakeholders expected at the event include civil society organizations, media, and members of the NURTW, international development partners as well as other stakeholders such as the representatives of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and MDAs.
“CESDA therefore invites the public to join us and other stakeholders as we flag-off the Say No Campaign To Open Defecation in the premises of Jabi Garage by 8.00am prompt, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.
Once again, happy celebration and wishing all a successful year 2020 World Toilet Day”.
According to the awareness of the United Nations, over 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. And this year, World Toilet Day theme is about taking action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. By extension, the year theme also remarks the importance of, “Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change”.