Pollution, Climate Change Threaten Nigeria’s Rivers – FG

The federal government has said that pollution, climate change and other human activities are increasingly threatening Nigeria’s rivers and water resources.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation,  Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, stated this on Monday during a media briefing to mark the 2026 World Rivers Day, theme: “No Forests, No Rivers, No Water, No Life, in Abuja.

Utsev identified untreated wastewater, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, agricultural runoff, erosion, sand mining, population growth and urbanisation among the major pressures on the country’s rivers.

He said the challenges were being compounded by climate change, including shifting rainfall patterns and more frequent flooding and drought.

According to him, the threats require a shift from fragmented management of water resources to an integrated and sustainable approach to managing Nigeria’s watersheds and river systems.

He said, “From the River Niger and River Benue to the many rivers, streams, wetlands and tributaries that traverse our states and communities, Nigeria’s water resources are a shared national heritage and a responsibility that belongs to all of us.”

The minister noted that rivers support agriculture and food production, domestic and industrial water supply, fisheries, biodiversity, livelihoods and economic development, warning that their degradation could affect communities and ecosystems that depend on them.

He also stressed the importance of forests, wetlands, floodplains and groundwater recharge areas in protecting river sources and regulating water flow.

“Where these ecosystems are degraded, our rivers and the communities that depend on them are placed at risk,” he said.

Utsev said the ministry was strengthening Integrated Water Resources Management across the country and working with relevant agencies to protect and restore watersheds and river catchments.

He said the government was also strengthening its capacity to collect, analyse and use data on rainfall, river flows, groundwater and water quality to support evidence-based water management.

The minister further warned that untreated sewage and wastewater entering rivers posed risks beyond environmental degradation, as they could threaten public health, affect livelihoods and compromise water supplies.

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

Utsev urged Nigerians to stop open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, plastics and effluents into waterways, while calling for the protection of forests and wetlands that sustain river sources.

He also called for stronger collaboration among governments, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners and civil society, stressing that activities upstream could have significant consequences for downstream communities.

The minister said the protection of Nigeria’s rivers was a collective responsibility and urged young Nigerians to lead efforts against plastic pollution, open defecation, poor wastewater management and ecosystem degradation.