By Abdulgafar Oladimeji.
Kano state Rural Water Supply Agency RUWASA has pronounced and certified 10 local governments as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The managing director RUWASA Ibrahim Bichi said that three local governments namely Wudil, Garko and Dambatta local governments were the initial LGA’s to be certified as free from open defecation in the state.
Bichi spoke, during his remarks during an advocacy visit paid to his office by a delegation from Civil Society Scalling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN led by Innocent Ekene, Bichi disclosed   that additional seven local governments, namely  Takai, Madobi, Sumaila, Doguwa, Gaya, Kabo and Dawakin Tofa have fulfilled the stipulated requirements to be declared and certified free from open defecation.
According to him, residents in the certified areas now reside in what he described as an hygienic environment, noting that their newly found healthy environment is a plus to the state of the  nutritional status of the inhabitants of the freed  areas.
Bichi further disclosed that the agency have commenced baseline survey activities that are  targeted at improving sanitation and hygiene conditions in 28 local governments across the urban and suburbs axis in  the state.
He added that the agency is improving the well being of the state populace through the collation of data to earmark areas that are in need of relevant and specific intervention to better their sanitation and hygiene standards.
