After more than four years of advocacy by traders, shoppers, and community health organisations, the Oyingbo Market in Lagos Mainland LGA has been equipped with a new functional public toilet and handwashing facility commissioned by the LGA administration last week. The facility, which includes separate sections for men and women and a dedicated unit for persons with disabilities, was constructed under a World Bank-supported urban sanitation programme and will be managed by a private sanitation company on behalf of the LGA. Market union leaders who were at the commissioning ceremony described the development as a long-overdue victory for basic dignity. Health officials noted that the absence of proper sanitation facilities in large markets is a significant public health risk, contributing to open defecation and the spread of waterborne and contact diseases. The LGA has committed to ensuring the facility is cleaned and maintained daily.
