Presentation Date: Feb 14, 2026
AGSA Abstract
Nigeria, with an estimated 46 million residents practising open defecation as of 2025, is one of the countries with the highest rates of unsafe defecation globally (UNICEF 2020). Open defecation is detrimental to the health and well-being of the general population, particularly children, girls, and the disabled who usually have special needs and supports to use toilets. In this project, a modified pit-latrine system (DILPAN) that simultaneously addresses Sanitation, Hygiene and Water management was designed and prototyped. DILPAN was designed to be installed on the existing pit latrines and its features help improve hygiene and enhance accessibility and inclusiveness. The system is based on a self-closing mechanism (trapdoor) that prevents odours, flies and other pests in the pit from gaining access to the pan and consequently minimizes spread of diseases. The trapdoor opens when faeces are dropped on the door thereby allowing the faeces to go into the pit and closes when no load is placed on it. During flushing, a sizeable amount of water suffices to clean the pan and also open the trapdoor. This conserves the volume of water requires for flushing. A prototype was developed with additive manufacturing which is a rapidly developing technology that has revolutionized the manufacturing sector. Adoption of DIPLAN in Nigeria especially in rural areas will help reduce open defecation by about 75% by 2030. Consequently, Nigeria will be able to meet some of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
