Dr Towoju Olumunyiwa, a Medical Practitioner, has advised Nigerians to adopt good hygiene and stop open defecation.

Olumuyiwa gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

He said open defecation had become a worrisome practice in Nigeria.

According to him, the bad habit is a major cause of many water-borne, food-borne and environmental diseases.

He added that it could also lead to outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and dysentery.

The medical practitioner said this practice was polluting the soil, water resources, environment and the air.

“People defecate on the walk ways, under the bridges and at any available space.

“That gives room for the spread of diseases; when people defecate in the open, there is every tendency that flies will feed on these faeces.

“Flies perch on faeces and the fly carries away some amount of the faeces on their bodies.

“And the flies perch on food, which may later be eaten by another person.

“The germs in the faeces are passed onto the food,” he said.

He advised that people should build toilets in their houses to maintain proper hygiene. (NAN)