ODF: Jigawa Reintroduces House to House Inspection to Enforce Personal, Environmental Hygiene
By: Ahmed Amunu, Dutse
The Jigawa State government has reintroduced house to house inspection to enforce personal and environmental hygiene, the state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Nura Ibrahim Kazaure, has said.
The commissioner said this on Wednesday in Dutse during a two-day orientation programme for 270 environmental health workers in the state, organised by the Jigawa State Environmental Protection Agency (JISEPA) and supported by United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
Dr Nura explained that the move was to maintain the state’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
He said that the primary duty of the inspectors is to monitor hygiene practice in homes, including the inspection of toilets and ensuring that every building has toilet facilities to prevent open defecation.
The commissioner said the government has been constructing toilets in schools, Motor parks, Markets and other public places for public uses, so that people will not “defecate openly which is major cause of dangerous diseases”.
He said that the government has made provision in the 2025 budget to increase the number of environmental health inspectors, saying hundreds would be engaged as temporary workers to meet the target of enhancing environmental hygiene in the state.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of JISEPA, Mr Adamu Sabo said the 270 environmental health inspectors were drawn from the 27 local government areas, with each contributing ten.
“The programme is a collaborative effort between Jigawa State and UNICEF in order made the state maintain its ODF status attained years ago.
“The training designed to hold in three different venues, that is at each of the three senatorial districts. This is the first to hold with 90 participants,” the JISEPA official said.
He commended Governor Umar Namadi for his support to the agency, and UNICEF for its collaboration with government on environmental protection, water and sanitation.
