Keep Sewage, Waste Out Of Rivers To Protect Public Health – Minister

The federal government has urged Nigerians to stop dumping sewage, refuse, plastics and other pollutants into rivers and waterways, warning that contaminated water resources pose serious risks to public health and livelihoods.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, made the call yesterday in Abuja during a media briefing to commemorate the 2026 World Rivers Day, themed: , “No Forests, No Rivers, No Water, No Life.”

Utsev said untreated sewage and wastewater entering rivers had consequences beyond environmental degradation, as they could threaten public health, affect livelihoods, compromise water supplies and place additional burdens on communities.

He said this was why the Federal Government was addressing water resources management and sanitation together.

“Keeping plastics, refuse and other pollutants out of our drains, streams and rivers is not simply an environmental responsibility; it is a contribution to protecting public health and securing the future of our communities,” the minister said.

Utsev disclosed that 179 Local Government Areas across the country had so far been validated as Open Defecation Free through the Federal Government’s Clean Nigeria Campaign, while more than 5,238 public sanitation facilities had been supported nationwide.

He said the achievements reflected efforts to keep human waste out of drains, streams and rivers and advance the country’s sanitation and hygiene targets under the Sustainable Development Goals.

The minister, however, urged Nigerians to sustain the gains by ending open defecation and adopting responsible wastewater and sanitation practices.

He also called for an end to indiscriminate dumping of refuse, effluents and plastics into waterways, while urging communities to protect river catchments from pollution and degradation.

Utsev said Nigeria’s rivers were under increasing pressure from population growth, urbanisation, untreated wastewater, indiscriminate waste disposal, agricultural runoff, erosion and sand mining, with climate change further compounding the challenges.

He stressed that the protection of rivers required the involvement of governments, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners and civil society.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation is strengthening Integrated Water Resources Management across the country and improving water-quality monitoring, while supporting the protection and restoration of watersheds and river catchments.

He said reliable data on rainfall, river flows, groundwater and water quality would also be strengthened to support evidence-based management of the country’s water resources.

The minister urged young Nigerians to take the lead in tackling plastic pollution, open defecation and poor wastewater management, as well as restoring degraded ecosystems and promoting water conservation.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, while speaking at the World Rivers Day celebration at Wupa River along Kuje Road, Abuja, said pollution, deforestation, erosion, uncontrolled development and climate change were increasingly threatening Nigeria’s water resources.

She said the challenges had implications for water quality, public health, agriculture, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians who depend directly or indirectly on the country’s rivers.