Federal Govt Recommits To Sustainable Water, Sanitation Services

The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring universal access to clean, safe and sustainable water and sanitation services for Nigerians.

The minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, stated this when he addressed the global community at the ongoing Africa Water Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium in Kigali, Rwanda.

Utsev said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had moved Nigeria’s water and sanitation sector from fragmented institutions towards a more coordinated national system by bringing relevant stakeholders together through various programmes, projects and reforms.

He listed the initiatives to include the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH), Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign, Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN), Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), as well as the National Action Plan.

He said the federal government is implementing the initiatives in collaboration with development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNICEF, WaterAid and the private sector, to complement government resources.

The minister said the government was also taking steps to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal Six, which seeks universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. He disclosed that the ministry had commenced developing a National Water Compact to address water for people, water for food, and water for the planet.

Utsev said the initiative was being developed in collaboration with state and local governments, adding that the final draft of the Water Compact would be validated by stakeholders this month.

He further said that Nigeria, through the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), was collaborating with other African countries towards implementing the Africa Implementation Programme (AIP).

The minister stressed the need for stronger collaboration among African leaders, development partners and other stakeholders to accelerate action towards achieving universal access to clean, safe and sustainable water and sanitation services.

Earlier, while declaring the symposium open, Rwandan Prime Minister Dr Justin Nsengiyumva urged African leaders and development partners to make sincere commitments and translate them into practical action to achieve the continent’s vision of universal access to sustainable water and sanitation services by 2063.

The symposium, themed “Accelerating Water and Sanitation Transformation for Sustainable Impact,” is hosted by the Government of Rwanda, co-convened by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and facilitated by IRC Africa.

The meeting focuses on strengthening leadership, governance, regulation, professional capacity, and strategic public finance to build reliable, investment-ready water and sanitation systems across Africa.