 We may recall that the Clean Nigeria campaign was launched in November 2019 as a national initiative to drive the process towards the attainment of the national target of making Nigeria open defication free by 2025. This is in accordance with the national roadmap developed and launched in 2016. Since then, we've made some progress in the implementation of the roadmap with 20 local government areas across the country so far certified as open defication free according to the national open defication free protocol. The objectives of the campaign include the implementation of a campaign to end open defication in Nigeria by 2025. These will involve mobilizing support and resources one at the highest political level and two within the private sector and from development partners also. The campaign will create a pool of resources of persons to support local actors to implement this nationwide transformational sanitation agenda. The campaign will also mobilize various strata of our society to imbibe a new culture of safe sanitation through behavioral change, communication and advocacy strategies. We'll also establish mechanisms for tracking progress and sharing knowledge and lessons that have been learned. As part of the government structure of the Clean Nigeria campaign, a steering committee which I have the privilege of chairing will meet biannually and this has been created with the following terms of reference and the terms of reference as follows. One, to provide strategic oversight to the implementation of the Clean Nigeria campaign. Two, to oversee and advise on the implementation and strategic orientation proposed by the Clean Nigeria Secretariat to execute the campaign. And three, to advise the Clean Nigeria Secretariat as necessary on any issues that it might face in the cause of implementing the campaign. Four, to facilitate the maximum synergy between the Clean Nigeria Secretariat and other relevant government agencies including security and law enforcement agencies and stakeholders towards meeting the campaign objectives. Five, to facilitate the access of the Clean Nigeria Secretariat to technical and financial resources for effective implementation of the campaign. Six, to receive and review progress reports of the implementation of the campaign. Seven, to ensure that the results of the campaign monitoring outcomes are well communicated to all stakeholders. I have no doubt that with the quality of the membership of the steering committee there will be effective articulation and coordination of the campaign. Let me state rather regrettably that Nigeria still tops the global league of countries in which open defecation is prevalent with an estimated 47 million of our people indulging in the practice. It has been abundantly established that open defecation has a negative impact on the health, educational outcomes and socio-economic life of the populace especially women and children. The practice of open defecation has become common in many communities due to lack of sanitation facilities. Many public places either lack sanitation facilities or have facilities which are not accessible or fit for use. National access to improve sanitation facilities stands at about 41.5% and of which 19.2% are safely managed according to the SDG standards, the WASHNUM 2018, and this is all from the WASHNUM 2018 data. Similarly, access to basic sanitation facilities in schools is only 33.5% while in healthcare facilities is even lower, access is just 11.7%. So an informed and candid assessment of the water, sanitation and hygiene sector indicates that it is in a critical condition and needs more attention with a minimum of three times the current level of investments required to achieve the sustainable development goals for water and sanitation. It is this assessment that led to the development of the national action plan for the revitalization of the wash sector, which was launched by Mr. President on the 8th of November 2018 with the declaration of a state of emergency in the sector. The objective of the national action plan is to ensure that every Nigerian has access to sustainable and safely managed wash services by 2030 in line with SDG 6.1 and 6.2. The challenges of the sector can be effectively tackled through the Clean Nigeria campaign by mobilizing high level political support and resources and the entire populace towards building a new culture of safe sanitation and ending the practice of open defecation. Our efforts are aimed at encouraging the states and local governments to invest in the provision of wash facilities and to ensure that Nigeria achieves our SDG targets for water and sanitation by 2030. While some state governments have declared a state of emergency in the wash sector, only very few have flagged off the Clean Nigeria campaign to end open defecation in their various states with specific dates and a clear roadmap. I'm delighted to note that the presidential launch of the campaign was immediately followed by the signing of Executive Order 009, titled ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025 and other related matters. The Executive Order was signed by Mr. President on the 20th of November 2019 and this gave legal back into the campaign the order was gazetted in February 2020. Since the launch was performed, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has made presentations to the Nigeria Governance Forum, the National Economic Council and the Senate and House committees on water as well as other critical stakeholders. So we are embarking on this initiative at a most auspicious time. As our nation confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that expanding access to water, to sanitation and hygiene facilities is our most effective weapon against the scourge of infectious diseases. Ensuring the provision of adequate wash facilities in our communities is the cornerstone of our efforts to strengthen the resilience of our public health structures beyond the present challenge of COVID-19. This is the basis of our commitment to ending open defecation and more broadly raising the standards in the wash sector. I wish to commend the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the organizers of this event and the engine room of the campaign for quickly setting up a functional secretary as a coordinating structure for engagement with all critical stakeholders towards achieving the campaign objectives as approved by the Federal Executive Council. They've also remarkably carried out an effective advocacy outreach to different media houses. And I'm pleased to note that we also have very strong commitment from the private sector through their coordinating body, the organized private sector in water sanitation and hygiene, OPS wash, led by a national coordinator. Groups and companies such as Coca-Cola, Guinness Nigeria, PLC, IHS towers and Nigerians in diaspora need come have also made strong individual commitments supporting our campaign to end open defecation in Nigeria by 2025. To the esteemed members of this steering committee, may I say that our work is well cut out for us. This campaign is one to end a major hazard to the health and well-being of Nigerians and we are privileged to be the arrowheads of what will be a fundamental transformation to a cleaner and much healthier society. I have no doubt that we have commitment, resourcefulness and creativity that is needed to drive this campaign. Finally, I wish to again congratulate the Honourable Minister of Water Resources, engineer Suleiman Adamou and his team for their hard work and unwavering focus on achieving the great objectives of this national effort to end open defecation in Nigeria. It is now my very special pleasure and privilege to formally inaugurate the steering committee of the Clean Nigeria campaign. Thank you very much.