It was on January 23^rd, 2016 that a twitter account working with the Nigerian Minister for Environment, Amina Mohammed, tweeted that Nigerians should stay tuned to the Minister?s official twitter handle for a big announcement. That big announcement came two days later and it was about sanitation especially in the capital, Abuja. The Minister revealed her plans in a series of tweet which I captured below.

1.         As we and prepare and engage with the 1st 2016 Sanitation day, #LassaFever is our current crisis...

2.      In the FCT, together with the FCTA, we will be launching an innovative campaign that is inclusive to prevent

3.      The info. materials that we will use need to communicate everyone's responsibility & the grave dangers of ignoring sanitation

4.      In this vein, recognizing the resourcefulness of our young people, full of bright ideas, I therefore invite you to join us

5.      I invite you to send us the best picture for our campaign that we can use to communicate effectively to prevent

6.      The owners of the best pictures that will be selected will be recognized for contributing to improving Sanitation across Nigeria

7.      Please send your best pictures to fmecampaign@gmail.com FREE of charge. Thank you. #Sanitation #LassaFever

It was a very engaging interaction on the social media with the Minister and on the 30^th of same month, the Minister for Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Federal Capital Territory, launched the Monthly Environment Sanitation Exercise in The Federal Capital Territory Abuja with the theme ?Clean Environment: Our Collective Responsibility for Healthy Living?. The event took place at the Kuje Area Council with the market in the venue and surrounding environment benefitting from a full sanitation treatment from the ministers present and other participating stakeholders.

Sanitation days in Nigeria according to the Environment Minister, was introduced in 1984 when the current President, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, was the Head of State as a military officer but, I am aware that this initiative, regrettably, was not sustained in many places beyond that administration especially in our market places. So, it is such a great thing to see it returning. It is already on in most states, last Saturdays of every month, but the enforcement remains a problem as Nigerians find it hard to spend their time specifically on that.

With this collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and the FCT Minister, Mohammed Musa Bello, as well as traditional rulers who were present to pledge their support, I am confident that more result will be achieved and quite strategically, the vison of Her Excellency, Amina Mohammed to reduce the spread of diseases from our environment in the wake Lassa fever outbreak can be achieved. The national exercise will soon be launched with the three tiers of government included in the very inclusive arrangement.

We still await the winner of the best photo though.

Photo by: Twitter(@AminajMohammed)