Environmental Sanitation – A Therapy for Healthy Living for Sustainable Development. A Case Study of Argungu Township Kebbi State, North Western Nigeria

Abstract

Environmental sanitation is the principle and practice of creating healthful and hygienic conditions in the environment to promote public health and welfare, improve quality of life and ensure a sustainable environment. However, environmental sanitation which remains a catalyst for achieving healthy living has been neglected in most developing countries. In Nigeria, it is common to see people defecating in the open. The ugly side of this is that street gutters are left untidy and filled with dirt, and marketplaces are covered with waste and discarded items. Worrisomely, the story remains the same in rural places where there is hardly any proper waste management technology. All types of waste are dumped into nearby bushes and forests while human faeces are discharged into streams and rivers from which people obtain their water. This is what motivated the researchers to investigate the level of sanitation in Argungu Township in Kebbi State. Data for this study was collected through a structured al interviewing method. The total number of households in five (5) metropolitan wards as contained in the national immunization house listing schedule is 16, 594. However, a systematic sampling method was applied to arrive at the sample. After every count of fifty households, one household was selected making a total of 313 households for the research. The study revealed that people have neglected the sanitation of their environment. In Conclusion, the study recommends the use of a community participation model of sanitation which outlines the role expected by each individual toward ensuring a free and hygienic environment.