Lawal issued the warning on Thursday in Abuja at a ministerial press conference ahead of the 2025 National Environmental Sanitation Day (NESD) commemoration.
Represented by Dr Bahijjahtu Abubakar, Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry, the minister noted that vector-borne diseases thrive in unsanitary environments, especially in developing countries.
“Diseases such as cholera, monkeypox, dengue fever, and even COVID-19 have highlighted the urgent need for improved access to sanitation and hygiene,” he said.