Addressing the sanitation crisis through a market-based approach

In Nigeria, population growth and insufficient progress on sanitation have meant that the portion of the population with access to improved sanitation dropped between 1990 and 2015, and the number of people open defecating actually increased.1 This paper presents a market-based approach to sanitation that focuses on increasing the availability, affordability and sustainability of rural sanitation options in two states of Nigeria with large rural populations and low rates of access to improved sanitation. Key components of this initiative include developing a product line based on consumer preferences, working with motivated sanitation entrepreneurs, and establishing community-based sales agents. Challenges include difficulties changing cultural norms around open defaecation, and lack of affordable financing options.