Maiduguri’s Dirty Little Secret: The Crisis of Poor Sanitation -By Tijjani Bulama

Borno State is having detrimental effects on the population. Improper waste disposal and misplacement have resulted in the spread of severe diseases such as cholera, malaria, bacteria infections, and other harmful illnesses that negatively impact individuals living within the environment.

Environmental hygiene involves ensuring a clean, healthy, and safe environment for people to live comfortably. Proper regulation of waste dumping practices and management of waterways through construction or reconstruction of culverts are essential steps towards achieving this goal.

Despite efforts by the Borno state government under His Excellency Professor Babagana Umara Zulum to reintroduce monthly sanitation measures aimed at promoting cleanliness and good health for residents of Maiduguri city and its environs, some areas remain neglected due to careless attitudes by inhabitants who fail to take responsibility for their surroundings.

Although the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) works tirelessly on daily tasks assigned to them with monthly targets set out for cleaning activities across various locations in Maiduguri city; remote areas like Bulumkutu area, Custom Moduganari Bulaburin Kasuwa remain challenging due to blocked waterways causing improper waste disposal issues.

To promote a cleaner environment every first Saturday from 7am-10am movement shut down enforcing people’s participation in keeping their surroundings clean. Environmentalists alongside non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are raising awareness via radio jingles and other media platforms mobilizing citizens towards realizing better hygiene practices while providing mitigation measures against environmental hazards.

Tijjani Bulama. Mass communication, Borno State University