Globally, there are 3.5 billion people still living without safe toilets. Over 419 million people still practise ‘open defecation’. In these situations, diseases spread, killing 1,000 children under-five every single day. This global crisis poses a threat to nature and everyone’s health, particularly women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

In Nigeria, 1 in 4 have access to a basic toilet. Over 122,000 Nigerians, including 87,000 children, die due to diarrhea yearly.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria will need to build no fewer than 3.9 million toilets annually to meet the ending open defecation practice by 2025 target.

It is due to this burden that Gede’s ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme’ marked this year’s World Toilet Day, with a theme ‘Accelerating Change’. The event which is marked every November 19 focused on awareness raising on the need for households to promote hygiene practices—proper handwashing and construction of household toilets.

Over 450 students and teachers from Government Secondary School, Naka, Gwer West L.G.A Benue State, were reached with information, knowledge and skills on improving hygiene behaviour, construction and proper use of household toilets.

Participants expressed commitments in ensuring that the knowledge and skills received will be put to good use in order to eliminate open defecation across the communities.