The Yobe State Government and African Development Bank (ADB) have reached an agreement to jointly commit the sum of N620 million to build 432 latrines in schools and other public places such as markets across the 17 Local Government Areas of the State.
The Programme Manager of AfDB in the state, Mr Musa Haruna, who revealed this to journalists in Damaturu, said the provision of latrines in public places is part of the sanitation aspect of the ADB programmes in the state.
Mr Haruna disclosed that “the project will be executed in phases as 252 blocks of latrines comprising of 760 compartments has already been awarded in 10 LGAs, while tender will soon be opened for the outstanding 180 in the remaining 7 LGAs for prospective contractors”.
While noting that open defecation is a common practice among people in the state, the Programme Manager also called on them to make the best use of the facilities upon completion so as to achieve the desired results.
He said open defecation particularly in public places can cause a lot of health hazards such as cholera and diarrhoea among children stressing that “this programme is aimed at challenging some of these practices thereby reducing or eradicating the health hazards associated with those practices”
The Programme Manager also revealed that ADB is intervening in over 1000 communities across the state in the area of water supply through the drilling of motorized boreholes, concrete wells, and solar powered boreholes all with the aim of tackling water scarcity across the state.
