Open defecation returns to Cross River State five years after COVID-19 halted progress

Open defecation has made a dramatic comeback in Nigeria's Cross River State, undoing years of progress. Residents now openly relieve themselves in public spaces, from markets to school grounds, a ritual that had been largely eradicated between 2016 and 2019.

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Dem go jail us tire. Do they know the cost of building a toilet this time of the year?

The COVID-19 pandemic proved a major setback. Lockdowns and a shift in government focus to the health crisis brought the state's ambitious sanitation drive to a standstill. Five years on, the initiative remains stalled, and open defecation is rampant across nearly all local government areas.

Many residents defend the practice, citing the prohibitive cost of building toilets and a perceived lack of essential services like roads and electricity. Some even view it as a form of liberation. Meanwhile, sanitary inspectors, who should be enforcing standards, are reportedly extorting money from households, exacerbating the problem.

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The air blows through their anatomy.

The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where 90 percent of households lack toilets. Even urban centers face sanitation challenges, with refuse piling up in streets and drainages. This relapse represents a significant public health concern and a reversal of hard-won gains in sanitation.

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They cannot construct road, bring us electricity or health centre. All they are thinking about is how to jail us for not having toilet.