(Open Defecation. Photo by Vanguard News)
States in the South-East are showing mixed results in environmental sanitation efforts, with some urban centres recording marked improvements in waste management while others continue to struggle with open defecation and indiscriminate refuse disposal.
A survey by an online news platform found that while Abia has made notable progress through improved refuse evacuation and expanded public toilet facilities, Ebonyi and Anambra are still contending with open defecation and environmental pollution despite ongoing government interventions.
In Ebonyi State, refuse evacuation has remained fairly consistent in Abakaliki, with dump sites regularly cleared to prevent waste from piling up on major roads.
The report noted that refuse heaps are no longer a common sight in the state capital, a change attributed to improved collection efforts by contractors engaged by the state government.
The immediate past Commissioner for Environment, Victor Chukwu, said delays in evacuation were minimal and typically occurred only after heavy waste disposal on Sundays, with collection resuming by Monday.
He acknowledged, however, that open defecation remains a significant problem due to the presence of bushes around the capital and reluctance among residents in shared compounds to use public toilets.
He explained that the ministry has set up a task force to arrest offenders and prosecute them at the Environmental Court, alongside efforts to sensitise the public on the health risks of open defecation, adding that the state is making gradual progress in checking the practice through enforcement and community engagement.
In Abia State, open defecation is steadily reducing as government expands sanitation infrastructure and strengthens environmental management.
Residents credited the improvement to the construction of public toilets at key locations by the Ministry of Public Utilities, as well as the commissioning of the modern Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, which offers accessible restroom facilities for commuters.
The Abia State Environmental Protection Agency has also ensured more regular refuse evacuation, cutting down significantly on the overflowing waste heaps that used to be common in parts of Umuahia and Aba.
While isolated cases of open defecation still occur along sections of the railway corridor and a few drainage channels, residents say the practice is no longer widespread.
In Aba, residents commended the state environmental agency for improving sanitation across the commercial city through prompt waste evacuation.
People interviewed in areas such as Ogbor Hill, Umungasi, Asa Road, Abayi and Port Harcourt Road said refuse collection has become more consistent, with overflowing bins now largely a thing of the past.
The agency has also introduced designated disposal hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., warning that violators risk arrest.
A resident of Ogbor Hill praised the agency’s efforts, recalling that refuse bins in the area used to overflow constantly but that this is no longer the case due to regular evacuation, adding that flooding on major roads remains the next challenge to tackle.
Some residents, however, called on government to do more to curb indiscriminate dumping of waste into drainage channels, which they say worsens flooding during heavy rains.
In Anambra State, pollution linked to open defecation and blocked drains remains a major concern.
Open defecation is widespread in several riverine communities that lack adequate toilet facilities, while indiscriminate refuse dumping into drainage channels continues to cause flooding in parts of Awka and other urban areas.
Data from UNICEF shows that only three of the state’s 21 local government areas Aguata, Anambra East and Nnewi North have been certified open defecation-free, with about three per cent of the state’s population still practising open defecation, the second-highest rate among the five South-East states.
UNICEF’s Officer-in-Charge of the Enugu Field Office, Dr Olusoji Akinleye, warned that poor sanitation poses serious risks to public health, education and community wellbeing, stressing that toilets are central to daily life and that inadequate or broken facilities allow pollution to spread and disease to take hold.
In response, the Anambra State Government has declared a statewide desilting and waste evacuation exercise beginning July 4, 2026.
Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr Law Mefor, said movement would be restricted between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. to allow markets, transport unions, community leaders, churches and residents to take part in the exercise, explaining that the state had declared an environmental state of emergency to address blocked waterways, illegal structures, indiscriminate waste disposal and other contributors to environmental degradation.
The survey concludes that while notable progress has been made in parts of the South-East, sustained public awareness, expanded sanitation infrastructure and stricter enforcement of environmental laws remain essential to ending open defecation and improving public health across the region.
