From Rabilu Abubakar, Gombe
United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and Gombe State RUWASSA have raised concern over the unsafe disposal of human waste, warning of serious health and environmental risks.
At a high-level sensitisation event held in Kwami Local Government Area, stakeholders were urged to support the adoption of safe Faecal Sludge Management, FSM, practices.
UNICEF’s Communication Officer in Bauchi, Opeyemi Olagunju described FSM as a powerful solution to climate-related sanitation challenges, emphasising its role in waste collection, transport, treatment and reuse or safe disposal.
He called on journalists to champion the campaign against open defecation, stressing that community awareness is key to driving change.
In his presentation, the Director of Water Services, Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, Mohammed Sadiq reiterated government’s commitment to a sustainable FSM model.
Sadiq, who represented the Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment at the sensitisation campaign, warned that poor sanitation could contaminate groundwater and lead to disease outbreaks.
According to him, the new approach will define clear roles for agencies, enforce regulations, encourage private sector participation and establish treatment centers with community collaboration.
He also highlighted the economic potentials of FSM, noting that treated waste can be converted into bio-fertilizer, energy or agricultural water.
