Why We Are Prioritizing Poverty Reduction, Social Inclusion, Business Growth- Osinbajo
Aside from the main goal of ending open defecation across the country, the Buhari administration is prioritizing the Clean Nigeria Campaign as its success contributes to key initiatives including, enhancing social inclusion; poverty reduction; business growth, and entrepreneurship; greater access to quality education and affordable healthcare, among others.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, stated this in his remarks delivered virtually at a ceremony organized to mark the first anniversary of Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, Thursday.
According to the Vice President, “the success of the Clean Nigeria Campaign will contribute to some of the key priority areas of this Government which include enhancing social inclusion and poverty reduction, expanding business growth and entrepreneurship; and expanding access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity of Nigerians.”
Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said “we are aware that access to adequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services is a critical factor in the socio-economic development of any nation and contributes to human capital outcomes such as early childhood survival, health and educational attainment.
Access to WASH services is also one of the key preventive measures in the raging global COVID-19 pandemic.”
Speaking about the role of the private sector in the actualization of the objectives, Prof. Osinbajo stated that “the initiative of the Organized Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH) tagged ‘FLUSHIT’ which aims at promoting private sector-led innovative financial strategies in WASH, is a welcome development.”
He emphasized that “the role of the private sector is critical in building a virile sanitation economy which will drive the sustenance of the results being achieved under the Clean Nigeria Campaign.”
Restating the commitment of the Federal Government to the success of the campaign especially by appointing campaign ambassadors to support the process, Prof. Osinbajo said: “in our desire to aggressively mobilize the entire country towards ending the practice of open defecation, we have identified Campaign Ambassadors to support the national drive towards open defecation free status.”
The Vice President explained that “these are citizens who have contributed to the existing successes achieved so far under the Campaign or have been identified as persons of influence who can significantly advance the Campaign.
“Clean Nigeria Campaign Ambassador will be required to provide leadership in advancing the objectives of the Campaign and engage in Campaign activities as may be initiated by you or other stakeholders.” Giving further insights about what the Federal Government is doing to sustain current efforts, Prof. Osinbajo said: “the Clean Nigeria Campaign is backed by Presidential Executive Order 009 which gives effect to its implementation.”
“The Executive Order provides that the National Open Defecation Free (ODF) Roadmap be put into effect towards meeting the national target of ending open defecation by 2025.
“It mandates the ‘Clean Nigeria Campaign Secretariat’ in collaboration with relevant government institutions to ensure that all public places including schools, hotels, fuel stations, places of worship, market places, hospitals and offices have accessible toilets within their premises.
