The Zamfara State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has intensified efforts to sustain the state’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) status through improved faecal sludge management.
The initiative included a capacity-building programme for traditional pit emptiers and faecal sludge evacuators across Anka, Bukkuyum, Kaura Namoda and Maru local government areas.
The programme was designed to improve sanitation services, protect public health and the environment, and support the state’s efforts to achieve and sustain ODF status.
The training featured three days of classroom sessions and five days of practical demonstrations, equipping participants with skills in safe pit emptying, occupational health and safety, and proper faecal sludge management.
Four manual emptying devices, locally referred to as “manual golfers”, alongside other innovative tools and personal protective equipment, were provided to improve the safety and efficiency of sanitation workers.
The practical sessions also involved the safe emptying of 40 filled pits, with emphasis on appropriate treatment and disposal of faecal sludge.
Speaking on behalf of the state government, the Programme Manager of the Zamfara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWATSAN), Dr Abubakar Nasir Galadima, represented by the Director of Sanitation, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable sanitation.
He said safely managed sanitation was central to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, which seeks to ensure access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all.
The government noted that achieving sustainable sanitation required more than ending open defecation, stressing that human faeces must be safely contained, emptied, transported, treated and properly disposed of or reused.
Galadima highlighted the importance of behavioural change, market-based sanitation, private-sector participation, affordable services and stronger institutional capacity in achieving sustainable results.
He thanked UNICEF and FCDO for supporting initiatives aimed at improving sanitation and protecting vulnerable communities across the state.
The lead facilitator, Abdulsalam M. Abdullahi, said the training was designed to transform traditional pit emptiers into safer, more efficient and professional service providers.
He said sanitation management did not end with the use of toilets, adding that faecal sludge must be safely managed throughout the sanitation service chain to prevent environmental contamination and protect public health.
Abdullahi said the initiative would also strengthen sanitation-related livelihoods and promote organised service delivery through market-based solutions.
The training brought together pit emptiers and representatives of RUWATSAN, the Zamfara State Environmental Protection Agency (ZEPIA), the Ministry of Environment, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and media organisations.
Participants commended the state government, UNICEF, FCDO and RUWATSAN for providing the training, practical demonstrations, sanitation tools and protective equipment.
The initiative is expected to help protect water sources, prevent sanitation-related diseases, safeguard workers’ health and dignity, create livelihood opportunities and sustain the state’s ODF achievements.
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