The Lagos State Government as part of efforts to eradicate open defecation and urination on Thursday engaged public toilet operator to continually promote healthy sanitation practices in public toilet management across the State.

Speaking during the second edition of the training workshop for public Toilet operators held at Ikeja, Lagos, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Omobolaji Gaji reiterated that the State Government is determined to eradicate the menace of open defecation in the state by 2025.

He said the part of the objectives of the one day training is to build capacity for Toilet Operators as well as to ensure a cleaner, more hygienic and safer public toilet environment in the State.

Gaji represented by the Director, Sanitation Services, Dr. Hassan Sanuth said the state government has four cardinal points of operation which include Advocacy; Regularization and standardization; Bridging the gap and Monitoring, Evaluation & Enforcement, saying that the training workshop comes under Regularization and standardization.

The Permanent Secretary said the training provides an opportunity for stakeholders to engage and communicate government’s desire and requirements to operators in the sector adding that the government in collaboration with other organisation remains determined to achieve zero tolerance regulation for open defecation and urination.

Gaji said in order to become successful in rendering services, learning new things must be a way of life and mastery of the business brings Excellence adding that public toilet operators must engage in best practices in toilet management and must be properly trained by the approved body following government’s laid down rules.

He recalled that government inaugurated an Anti- open defecation Squad some years back, according to the environmental laws of the state for non- complying members of the public and as such toilet operators must adhere to proper toilet management to avoid any form of sanctions from the government.

He charged the toilet operators to always ensure proper handling of the toilets as this would help reduce government and individual expenditure on treatment of diseases and thereby make more money available for other economic uses.

In his lecture titled “public toilet provision management, a panacea to healthy living” The facilitator, Sanitarian Dr. Cyril Babasope described public Toilet as a convenient facility that plays an essential role in both human health and the environmental health.

He said the vision of the lagos state government to ensure adequate and conducive public toilet in the State was applaudable bearing in mind that 116 million out of the 250 million population of Nigeria does not have access to decent toilet.

He enjoined public toilet operators to collaborate with the government in order to curb open defecation menace by establishing toilets in an accessible location, employ trained staff, use appropriate tools, as well as employ legal waste disposal process amongst others.

SIGNED
KUNLE ADESHINA
DIRECTOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MOE&WR