Once again, Nigeria finds itself gripped by a cholera outbreak that has claimed dozens of lives and sickened over a thousand others across the states.

The latest figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDCP) paint a grim picture “ 1,141 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 fatalities spanning 96 local government areas in 30 states.

This entirely preventable public health emergency lays bare the systemic failures in providing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to the citizens.

The states bearing the brunt of this outbreak “ Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos “ account for 90 per cent of the cholera burden.

Yet, this crisis extends far beyond these 10 states, a sobering reminder that no corner of the country is immune when basic necessities like clean water and proper sanitation are lacking.

Needless to say, in our opinion, the government must do everything possible to avoid a repeat of 2010. We recall that in that year, Nigeria had its worst cholera outbreak in recent memory with nearly 40,000 cases and more than 1,500 deaths reported according to a United Nations report.