The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says average of 24.4 per cent of households in the country still practice open defecation.
The NBS disclosed this on Monday in Abuja in its report on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH-NORM) 2018 Survey, posted on its website.
The agency said that data for the report was provided by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and subsequently verified and validated by the NBS.
It said that the practice was highest in the North central with 53.9 per cent households followed by South West with 28.0 per cent, while North West had the least with 10.3 per cent.
On access to hygiene, it said that the percentage figure of households with fixed place for handwashing with water and soap under running water was just 22.1 per cent nationwide.
It said that South East recorded the highest percentage of 32.1, followed by North East, while North West recorded the least percentage of 18.4.
The report also said that household heads that had knowledge about hand washing in Nigeria at least two critical times was 91.4 per cent.
In the South East and South West, it said the record was 98.8 and 94.5 per cent, while North East recorded the least percentage of 82.4.
On access to improved water facilities, the report said that the households in Nigeria that use improved source of drinking water were 73.4 per cent.
It said the South West Zone recorded the highest percentage of households with improved main source of drinking water of 87.0 per cent.
It said this was followed by South East and South South with 82.9 and 77.0 per cent, while the lowest geo-political was North West with 62.8 per cent.
Meanwhile, the report said that 57.4 per cent of households had access to improved sanitation facility in the country.
On zonal basis, it said that South East recorded the highest percentage of households with 70.8 followed by South West with 67.6 per cent while North West recorded the least percentage of households with 39.4.
NBS said that one in five households was headed by women representing one-third of the households, while 29.8 per cent household were headed by individuals with no education.
