Bauchi: Misau Emirate Targets N6m Fund to Upgrade Toilets, Curb Open Defecation
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Misau Emirate Council in Bauchi State has unveiled plans to raise about six million naira for the purchase of Safe Toilet (SATO) pans to improve sanitation facilities in vulnerable households across Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The initiative is aimed at supporting the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6), which focuses on ensuring access to clean water and adequate sanitation, while accelerating efforts to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the area.
SATO pan is an affordable and durable plastic toilet pan designed to convert traditional open-pit latrines into safer, more hygienic and odour-free sanitation facilities.
The technology is particularly suitable for rural communities where conventional toilets are prone to collapse, especially during the rainy season.
The Chief Imam of Misau and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee, Alhaji Manu Mohammed Baba, disclosed the plan while addressing community members during a public sensitisation campaign on the dangers of open defecation and the health risks associated with poor personal and environmental hygiene.
According to him, the committee intends to procure about 1,000 SATO pans for distribution to households currently using unimproved toilets that often collapse, forcing residents to resort to open defecation.
“Each SATO pan costs about six thousand naira. If we are to purchase one thousand units, we will require about six million naira to actualise this plan,” Alhaji Manu Baba said.
“We have already written to notable individuals within the Emirate and beyond, and we are optimistic that they will respond positively to support this noble cause.”
He explained that the fundraising and implementation committee comprises traditional and religious leaders, a magistrate, representatives of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as women and persons living with disabilities.
The committee, he added, has embarked on extensive enlightenment campaigns in public places and household units to mobilise community support.
The Chief Imam also urged Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs) in all wards to strictly observe basic hygiene practices and protect water sources from being used as dumping sites.
He warned that sanctions would be imposed on individuals or groups found violating sanitation regulations.
In his remarks, the Programme Manager of a Bauchi-based non-governmental organisation, WODASS, Mr Magaji Barde, commended the Misau Emirate Council for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would complement the efforts of civil society organisations, the local government council and WaterAid Nigeria, which is currently implementing multi-million-naira water projects in Misau LGA.
Mr Barde, however, expressed concern over poor sanitation conditions around the Misau central motor park and main market. He called on BASEPA to urgently demarcate designated refuse dumping sites to curb indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly around sensitive areas such as boreholes and other water points.
