Policy Responses to Open Defecation and Sanitation Crisis in Rural Yobe State, North East Nigeria

This study examines policy responses to open defecation and the rural sanitation crisis in Yobe State, North East Nigeria. Yobe State has one of the highest open defecation rates in Nigeria, posing severe public health risks including the spread of cholera, typhoid, and soil-transmitted helminthiases, particularly among children under five. Drawing on the WASH governance framework and recent rural sanitation policy literature from 2019 to 2024, the study employs a descriptive survey design. A sample of 240 rural household heads, ward sanitation officers, State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency officials, and community development workers is selected from four local government areas in Yobe State using stratified sampling. Structured questionnaires and community focus group discussions are the primary instruments, with data analysed through descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation. The study expects to find that the Community-Led Total Sanitation approach has had limited and unsustained impact due to inadequate funding, insufficient trained sanitation facilitators, a lack of post-trigger follow-up support, and low household latrine construction rates. Conflict displacement and cultural practices are also expected to compound sanitation governance challenges. Recommendations will focus on strengthening sanitation financing at the state and local government level, improving the quality of community mobilisation under the Open Defecation Free programme, and integrating sanitation into social protection programming for vulnerable rural communities in Yobe State. Keywords: open defecation, sanitation policy, WASH governance, Yobe State, rural communities