The Cross River House of Assembly has passed a bill prohibiting open defecation.

The bill aims to outlaw open defecation in public places and encourage the use of proper toilet facilities statewide to improve sanitation and protect public health across the state.

The lawmakers approved the bill after considering a report by the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation presented by its chairman, Kingsley Ntui, representing Etung state constituency, on Thursday.

Mr Ntui said that about 47 million Nigerians still practised open defecation, adding that the practice contributed to water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid.

He commended the state government’s efforts in ending open defecation and urged lawmakers to support sanitation initiatives in their constituencies.

According to him, with support from UNICEF and Self Help Africa, eight LGAs in the state have been declared open defecation-free.

“However, some key challenges to achieving full open defecation-free status include poor sanitation infrastructure, limited access to clean water, poverty and low public awareness,” he said.

Contributing, lawmakers said the bill aligned with national and global initiatives to eliminate open defecation.

They said the law would improve environmental cleanliness and promote the overall well-being of the state’s residents.

The speaker, Elvert Ayambem, commended the committee for its work and expressed satisfaction with the bill’s passage.

Mr Ayambem said the law would help create a cleaner environment and reaffirmed the assembly’s commitment to people-oriented legislation that would improve residents’ welfare.

The bill aligns with the federal government’s water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, which aim to provide safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services by 2030.

It is also aimed at making communities open defecation-free.

(NAN)