Nigeria efforts at achieving total Open Defecation Free by 2025 is yielding fruit as the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS), a Multi Sectoral Platform involving Line Ministries, Agencies, NGO Network and the Media, have validated and declared additional 12 new Local Government Areas as Open Defecation Free, bring the total number to 117 local government areas.
The Minister, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun, Utsev, said the result of the validation was revealed by the group in Abuja during their monthly meeting.
According to Prof. Utsev, the twelve additional ODF Local Government Areas include Kano State with seven Local Government Areas which are Kunchi, Gezawa, Ajingi, Karaye, Rimin Gado, Rano & Albasu.
Katsina State with two Local Government Areas which are Kankara and Funtua while Bayelsa State has one Local Government area of Kolokuma/Opokuma and Delta Stat has one Local Government Area which is Oshimili North and another Ikenne LGA in Ogun state.
The ODF Local Government Areas are Jigawa State (27); Anambra (3); Akwa-Ibom (1); Bauchi (7) ; Benue (9); Borno (2); Cross River (6); Kano (18); Kaduna (7); Katsina (27); Osun (1); Yobe (1); Zamfara (3); and Imo (1).
