Toilet Revolution: How UNICEF Project is Igniting Job Creation and Empowering Entrepreneurs in Kaduna

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

In the rural local government area of Kagarko, a quiet revolution is taking place; “the toilet revolution” This bold new approach to sanitation is doing more than just improving health and hygiene in Kaduna State. It’s igniting local entrepreneurship and creating job opportunities, especially for women and youth.

Through a partnership between UNICEF and the Kaduna State Government, with support from the Netherlands Government, the Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA III) project was launched recently in Kagarko and Lere LGAs.

During a training session for Toilet Business Owners (TBOs), building materials sellers, masons, and other sanitation stakeholders in Kagarko, UNICEF’s National Sanitation Marketing and Financing Facilitator, Abdulsalam Abdullahi, described an untapped economic opportunity, a 7.2 billion naira toilet construction market. With over 71,000 households in the area lacking improved toilets, with massive potential for growth.

By the end of the training, participants expressed renewed enthusiasm, eager to seize the far-reaching opportunities in the sanitation economy.

According to Aliyu Yahaya, 35, a Toilet Business Operator(TBO) in Kagarko, he has been in the toilet and bathroom business for over four years.

“I started my business with N8.5 million and it has been a very successful journey. Today, I earn at least N8,000 daily,” he said.

“With this training, I’ve gained better ideas on how to expand my business by building toilets in other locations. The most exciting part is that we were told we’d be linked to financing systems to access soft loans and even grants to support our growth.

“I personally thank the organizers. They’ve opened my eyes to more business opportunities and shown us how to keep our toilets clean so customers won’t contract diseases when they use our services,” Aliyu added.

A 38 years old female mason and mother of 2, Hadiza Adamu, said “I’ve been doing masonry work since I was 17. It was my father’s profession, and I learned by watching him. Sometimes, he would take me along to job sites.

She explained that masonry has become a passion for her, noting “It was actually during one of those jobs that I met my husband, and even after marriage, I continued the work.

“This training taught me that beyond doing it for fun, I can actually commercialize my skills — that’s my biggest takeaway. I now want to learn more and fully enter the profession.

“As a woman, I see no reason why I shouldn’t do masonry work. I have the skills and strength, and I believe I can succeed, just like I’ve done with my cloth-making and earring-knitting business. In the next few weeks, I’ll fully dive into masonry as a profession and generate more money to support my family.”

For Aisha Lawal, a Building and Sanitation Materials Seller, growing her business is her major focus, especially with the knowledge she acquired during the training.

“I see myself growing my business in Kagarko in the coming years, especially by applying the knowledge I’ve gained here.

“I’ve learned so much from this meeting. I now see how to mobilize the community better and create opportunities for unemployed youths to join the toilet business — and for those already in it, to build more toilets across the community,” she said.

Aisha noted “Our LGA has a large and growing population. No number of toilets will ever be too many. We must all work together to end open defecation. The dangers of human waste in our environment are clear.

“We’ll also encourage households to build affordable toilets. From the training, we’ve learned that everyone can own a toilet without spending too much. This will help prevent the spread of diseases both locally and nationally.

“I now feel capable and confident to share this knowledge with others — to help them understand the causes of illness and how to prevent them, especially those linked to poor sanitation.

“As a woman, my advice to others is simple: stand up. The world has changed. What a man can do, a woman can also do. We must give ourselves the opportunity. Nobody knows everything — we are all learning every single day. So, I encourage women to explore different businesses, not just this one.”