Lagos state in 2023 recorded a 65 percent success in sanitation standards in schools, especially in the accreditation process for private schools, as against the 10 percent in 2021, it has been learnt.
This was achieved through collaboration with the Office of Education Quality Assurance, as well as the willingness and cooperation of private school operators.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, stated this at the 2024 interactive session on school sanitation tagged ‘Embracing Sanitation and Hygiene Behavior in Schools in Lagos’.
Wahab, represented by the Permanent Secretary (Environmental Services), Gaji Omobolaji, reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for ‘our future leaders’.
“It is in view of this that the ministry established the School Sanitation Unit to ensure that best sanitation practices are embraced in all schools through effective monitoring and collaboration with other relevant MDAs and corporate organisations on sustainable intervention projects/programmes,” he noted.
The commissioner however said there was a need for greater collaborations with government, corporate sectors, parents, guardians, NGOs, and CSOs ‘to ensure that sanitation infrastructure in public schools is available and adequate concerning pupil population, accessible and well maintained.
He added: “Best sanitation and hygiene practices are the foundation of a healthy learning environment. It is within the walls of our schools that we shape the leaders of tomorrow, and it is our duty to ensure that these young minds grow up under conditions that support both their education and health.
“Inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene are barriers to education, particularly in schools where access to clean water, proper toilet facilities, and knowledge of hygienic practices is limited. Therefore, we must work to ensure that no child, regardless of gender or age, is left behind in this cause.
“I urge every one of us to become worthy ambassadors of change. Students, you are the most important stakeholders in this journey; embrace the principles of good hygiene – wash your hands with soap, keep your environment clean, and be mindful of waste disposal.
“Teachers, continue to educate, encourage, and empower your students to take charge of their health. Parents and community members must support our schools in their sanitation efforts and advocate for improvements where needed. Together, we can create a school environment in Lagos that promotes health, dignity, and equality for all children.
“By embracing sanitation and hygiene behaviour, we lay a solid foundation for a healthier future for our city and our nation. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in an environment that is safe, clean, and supportive of their overall development.
“This is our shared responsibility, and I am confident that, united in purpose, we can achieve this vision for our children.”
The director of sanitation services in the ministry, Dr. Hassan Sanuth, said the theme was ‘carefully chosen to awaken in us the need to put necessary machinery in motion for total sanitation in all our schools, especially at this time of the outbreak of communicable diseases like cholera’.
He also noted that Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 6 call upon countries to ensure universal access to safe and equitable WASH services and inclusive environments in schools.
“Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being. For us as a state, we believe that hygiene and sanitation are critical, as they directly affect the learning outcomes.
“Studies have shown that proper sanitation and good hygiene practices increase learners’ participation in class while reducing absenteeism due to illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. It is therefore imperative for all hands to be on deck to address the bedrock of our children’s educational performance.
“This forum has therefore brought together relevant stakeholders in education and environment, public and private, to ruminate on the lingering issues of sanitation infrastructure in our schools, to address this great need that impacts on our children’s right to decent sanitation, health, safety, and dignity within educational facilities.
“To promote sanitation best practices, the ministry has begun sanitation competition among schools, with this year being the maiden edition. Today, we shall honour the winners of this challenge,” Sanuth added.
The guest lecturer, Dare Oduniyi, from Water Aid Nigeria, noted that optimal performance can only be gotten from students in a sanitary environment ‘which is safe and conducive for physical, mental and emotional health’.
He added that sanitation and hygiene matters in schools will improve student well-being, increase their productivity, and boost community development.
There was also the presentation of gifts and awards to schools in the categories of Sanitation and Hygiene Best Practices, as well as recycling and up-cycling initiatives.
(The nation)
