Two Men. Two Communities. One Mission

Danladi Umar knows what disease can do, especially to children. He has seen how outbreaks sweep through communities, break families and turn daily life upside down. He knows that behind many of those outbreaks is a problem that can be prevented. Open defecation.

That knowledge drives him.

"Attaining Open Defecation Free status will be a major achievement for us," he says, his voice steady and quiet. Danladi is the Coordinator of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Unit in Ningi Local Government Area, one of 20 LGAs in Bauchi State. Ten have already attained ODF status. Ningi has not yet. For Danladi, it is not just a policy target.

"When we achieve ODF, it means our children are safer. It means fewer cases of diseases like cholera. It means healthier families."

Open defecation remains one of the leading causes of waterborne disease, and children pay the highest price. It contaminates water sources, spreads infection, puts entire communities at risk. Becoming ODF is not easy. Nigeria’s certification process is rigorous. It demands real behaviour change, access to improved toilets, and commitment from every household. 

"We know it is a huge task," Danladi says. "But we are prepared for it."

With support from UNICEF and LIXIL, Ningi has intensified its push to end open defecation. Danladi and his team are using sanitation marketing to show families that safe toilets can be affordable. One of the options is the SATO pan, a safe and easy to install toilet pan that keeps waste out of sight and flies out.

"Our sanitation marketing activities are generating demand for toilet business owners," Danladi says. The more homes with improved toilets, the closer Ningi gets to ODF status.

The team is also bringing traditional leaders on board as sanitation champions in their domains. And because behaviour needs backing, they have pushed the local authorities to enact sanitation by laws that reinforce positive change.

For Danladi, this is personal. As a father, he worries every time he hears about cholera.

"I know about water borne diseases. I know the danger it poses. No parent wants to see their child fall sick because of something we can prevent," he says.

His resolve does not shake. "With the support of partners like UNICEF and LIXIL, we will continue promoting improved toilets and encouraging people to abandon open defecation because when our communities become ODF, we have a better chance to live healthy."

Hundreds of kilometres away in Katagum, another Umar is fighting the same battle from a different corner.

Muhammad Umar is not a government official. He is an entrepreneur.

"I have always loved the environment," he says. "I studied Geography, so when my father asked me to join the sanitation business, I didn't hesitate."

Years earlier, his father had been trained by UNICEF and LIXIL as a sanitation entrepreneur. That training helped him start a toilet business supplying SATO pans, helping households leave unsafe practices behind. The business became part of Katagum’s success story and contributed to the LGA attaining ODF status.

For Muhammad, reaching ODF is only half the journey.

"Sustaining it is even more important," he says.

Determined to build on his father’s legacy, he expanded the family business beyond toilet sales into waste collection and safe disposal. His vision goes beyond profit.

"Sanitation is not just a business. It is a way of protecting communities. Every toilet installed, every waste safely disposed of, helps keep our communities and children healthier."

The growing enterprise is also creating jobs for young people in the community as drivers, waste collectors, operators and managers.

"We are proud that the business is creating jobs while improving the environment," Muhammad says. "One day, I hope we can expand beyond Katagum and serve many more communities."

He credits the training and support from UNICEF and LIXIL as the catalyst. What began with his father has become a generational commitment to healthier communities.

Danladi and Muhammad live in different places and serve in different roles, but they are driven by the same belief. Every child deserves to grow up in a clean, healthy and safe environment.

One mobilizes communities and strengthens local systems. The other builds a sanitation business that makes improved toilets and services more accessible. Together, they show what it takes to create healthier communities. Government, private sector, traditional leaders, development partners and families all pulling in the same direction.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Looking at these two, it also takes a village to protect one.