Minister of water resources and sanitation Prof Joseph Utsev has called for deliberate actions to ensure water security, local water conservation programmes and water-saving practices.
He made the call yesterday at a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 World Water Day themed: “Glacier Preservation” and the launch of the United Nations world water development report titled, “Mountains and glaciers -Water towers,” the climate resilient water safety plan guidelines and the revised technical designs for WASH facilities.
World Water Day is commemorated annually on 22 March, to highlight the importance of fresh water and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Prof. Utsev noted that though Nigeria does not have glaciers, and they may seem distant from its immediate water challenges, their preservation was still crucial for the global climate system, and the rapid melting of nature’s crystal giants has contributed to extreme weather events globally, and nations far from glacier regions, like Nigeria, are not immune to these cascading effects.
He said Nigeria was tackling challenges in achieving SDG 6 by implementing initiatives like Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene, the National Action Plan for WASH, and the Nigeria Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Programme, which aim to improve water access, sanitation, and hygiene.
He also said the country was investing in water infrastructure, irrigation systems, hydrological research, and sustainable management of river basins and dams to ensure equitable and efficient use of water resources.
The Chief of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Jane Bevan noted that the theme for this year’s World Water Day highlights the impacts of climate change.
She said “Climate change is most definitely affecting all of us in Nigeria. And UNICEF has been supporting the ministry in many different initiatives to respond to this issue, we are supporting the technical working group the climate rationale, which was approved in the council in January, and supporting the design revision to make sure they’re more climate resilient for all WASH facilities, which will be unveiled today.
“We are also supporting communities to better strengthen their ability to respond to climate issues. So, that’s about the climate resilient water safety planning.
“Climate change is real, it’s happening now, it’s getting worse, and we all need to be thinking climate about everything we do, particularly wasteful water, think about the use of water, minimising the use wherever possible, and encouraging others to do so as well.’
The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay highlighted that glaciers play an essential role in the global water cycle, storing nearly two-thirds of all the freshwater on Earth—they are the water towers of the world.
