UNICEF donates 50,000 satopans to scale up sanitation

The UN Children’s Fund has donated 50,000 Satopans to support Nigeria in ending Open Defecation practices in the country.

Satopans are cost effective blue plastic toilet pan placed directly over a single pit, which features an automatically-closing trap door that blocks odors and insects.

A small amount of water (0.2 to 1 liter) opens the trap door to eliminate waste, which shuts itself tightly after use.

Mr Bioye Ogunjobi, UNICEF WASH Specialist, said this at the Virtual meeting of the National Task Group on Sanitation on Wednesday.

He said the pans, donated through Lixil Technologies Limited, were being distributed to Toilet Business Owners (TBOs) to expand their businesses through sanitation marketing.

According to him, benefiting TBOs which included Small and medium scale enterprises like artisans, bricklayers in communities were given based on their capacity on demand and supply chain.

He noted that it would also serve as seed funds to support their businesses and contribute to meeting the Federal Government’s campaign to end open defecation practices in the country.

“We have given them at a rate of N1,300 each, they are to sell at N1,620, although they are not aware that are not paying us back, it will be their seed capital.

“We are hopeful that this would in-turn bring the monies into their business and expand scope to other local governments.’’

The WASH specialist expressed optimism that benefiting artisans would expand their area of work to other Local government areas.

National Coordinator, Clean Nigeria Campaign, Mrs Chizoma Opara, said the secretariat has also commenced distribution of Satopans to 138 communities in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.

According to her, this will help to make the entire area council open defecation free and in-turn promote sustainable practices for improved sanitation.

Opara said the Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat was working with all wives of Governors to rally out support as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Ambassadors.

She said all states except Bayelsa and Nasarawa have commenced the implementation of their state Open Defecation Free (ODF) roadmaps, saying this was the important if the county would meet the target by 2025.

She added that the secretariat was also partnering with the FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency for the construction of specialised toilets in the city centre.

“A private developer is involved, we have met with the heads of the six area councils and they have made sites for construction available.

“The memorandum of understanding is to be signed soon and construction will soon start, this will really help to push the campaign further to end open defecation.”

The national coordinator added that training of Community Mobilisation Officers in partnership with the National Orientation Agency, have been completed in all states.

This, she noted was to take the campaign of ending open defecation to the grassroots.