Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, has said that an estimated 171 million Nigerians lack access to basic hygiene services, with varying disparities across urban and rural areas, geographic locations and wealth in the country.
Utsev, who revealed this on Thursday in Abuja at a media briefing to commemorate the 2023 Global Hand washing Day, quoted the 2021 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Report, which indicates that national access to basic hygiene services is at an abysmal 17%.
The minister represented by Engr.John Ochigbo, Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, explained that, “In schools and health care facilities, access to basic hygiene is 35% and 30% respectively, while only 8% of public places such as markets and parks have basic hygiene facilities.”
He said: “It may also interest you to know that a high knowledge of hand washing practices estimated at 99% was reported, in practice only 8% of the population can demonstrate proper hand washing with water and soap under running water.”
