The Kwara State Government has declared five communities in the Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara South Senatorial District as open defecation-free.

This announcement was made by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yunusa Lade, during the World Toilet Day celebration held in Ilofa, the headquarters of Oke-Ero LGA.

The certified communities include Imode, Ayedun, Egosi, Ilaojigi, and Ilofa, marking significant progress in the state's sanitation drive.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Christiana Asonibare, said this year’s World Toilet Day was tagged ‘Toilet: A Place of Peace’.

Lade explained that the state government recently paid the sum of N300 million as counterpart funding for the exercise as part of its commitment to eradicating open defecation in the state.

He emphasised that the same thing was going on in the other two senatorial districts of Kwara Central and North.

Lade thanked the hosting local government’s chairman, traditional rulers, union leaders, market women, community leaders and the state government for their support and cooperation towards the success of the project.

Also speaking, the General Manager of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Ilorin, Mr Olorunfemi Oladipo, described the project as the first of its kind in the state.

He urged the benefitting communities to maintain the facilities and protect them from vandalism, adding that with the cooperation and support of major stakeholders, the council would soon achieve a 100% status in the rest of the communities.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of the royal fathers, the Elegosi of Egosi, Oba Daniel Dada, said the project was meant to safeguard their lives.

Oba Dada appealed to the state government to provide the communities with sanitary inspectors that would ensure compliance with sanitary principles of using the facilities.