The Federal Capital Territory Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Directorate, FCT-RUWASSA, marked the 2025 World Toilet Day with a visit to Mpape community in Bwari Area Council, where residents appealed for government support to provide toilets in their primary school.
The visit, held under the global theme “Sanitation in a Changing World,” focused on promoting toilet use and raising awareness on the health risks associated with open defecation.
Acting Director of FCT-RUWASSA, Abigail Ekpenisi, during the visit, urged residents to prioritise hygiene and continue using the toilets already available in the community.
According to her, said sustained toilet use remains central to achieving the country’s 2030 target for eliminating open defecation.
“We are here to commemorate World Toilet Day, which is a global event, and I thank you for accepting to host us, so that at least to speak on the use of the toilet. As the theme says, we need toilets. And I was happy as you were passing, you showed me toilets, which means you people are compliant. You people should keep it up as we commemorate this Day.
“So, I will commend especially the youth, the women leaders, and urge that you people should continue to do the good work you are already doing — by using the toilet to end open defecation. And we are here today to remind you people to use the toilet.
“We will still come back to do more sensitization on the building of toilets. Let’s continue using the toilet as we commemorate the World Toilet Day. The message is use the toilet, keep our FCT clean. And if you keep using the toilet, the objective will be achieved.”
Meanwhile, Coordinator of WASH in Bwari Area Council, Alheri Danjuma, who represented the HOD Environmental Department, urged residents to pass the message to neighbours, noting that open defecation remains a major source of disease transmission.
The District Head of Katampe 1, Adamu Diga, thanked the delegation for the visit and appealed for government assistance to build a toilet facility in the community’s primary school. He also requested support from the Area Council to ease the cost of waste evacuation, which he said many residents struggle to afford.
The event ended with a visit to the primary school, where the officials inspected existing facilities as part of the sensitisation tour.
World Toilet Day, recognised by the United Nations and celebrated annually on 19 November, seeks to inspire global action on sanitation and highlight the 3.4 billion people still living without safely managed sanitation.
