*Bemoans N455 Billion Annual Loss
The Federal Government of Nigeria on Monday harped on the need to boost the supply side of value chain to maximise the sanitation economy and menstrual hygiene marketplace potentials in Nigeria, estimated to grow to $14.23billion by 2030.
It also reaffirmed commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which target 6.2 for Sanitation by 2030.
Nigeria's Vice President, Kashim Shettima spoke while declaring open the maiden National Sanitation Conference, Abuja 2025. It was themed “Accelerating Sanitation for All.”
The Vice President, who was represented by Binta Inna Audu, Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, noted that access to safe sanitation have remained one of the most pressing public health and development challenges in Nigeria and globally.
Stressing that sanitation is not just about toilets or infrastructure; he said it is about human dignity, health, productivity, and the future of Nigerian children.
Despite commendable progress over the past few years in Nigeria, he said that many Nigerians unfortunately still live without access to safely managed sanitation facilities.
Open defecation, he said, has continued to threaten Nigeria's public health, contaminate water sources, and undermine national image.
He said "While the demand for sanitation services is being generated through the social and behaviour change communications approach of the Campaign, we also recognise the need to strengthen the supply side of the value chain and maximise the sanitation economy and menstrual hygiene marketplace potentials in the country, estimated to grow to $14.23billion by 2030.
"This is broken down to $9.9billion for toilet economy, $2.5billion for circular sanitation economy, $25million for smart sanitation economy and $1.8billion for menstrual hygiene marketplace.
"However, only a few of these potentials are being exploited, and there is a need to identify scalable approaches for their realisation. It is therefore important that we bring in innovations and new solutions to actualise this, which will require a strong enabling environment that incentivises the Private Sector and promotes sustainability."
"This situation, therefore, demands an urgent, coordinated, and sustained action at the federal, state, and local levels."
To address the challenges, he said that the Federal Government has initiated different programmes in the country, which have recorded significant results over the years.
"Nigeria, like other countries, is committed to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), of which target 6.2 for Sanitation seeks to “achieve by 2030, access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.”.
"Our commitment is motivated by the realisation that it would contribute significantly to the achievement of our development goals and key priority areas of this Government, which include promoting education, health and social investment; economic and inclusive growth; agriculture and food security; infrastructure development; service delivery and governance, among others."
According to him, the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has continued to place water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at the heart of Nigeria's national development agenda.
Speaking at the occasion, the Honorable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Engr. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said that the gathering marked an important milestone in the collective efforts to advance Nigeria’s sanitation agenda, promote public health, and safeguard the dignity and well-being of Nigerians.
Sanitation, according to him, is a cornerstone of human development, a driver of productivity, and a key determinant of national prosperity.
The conference, he said, aims at creating a national platform for dialogue, innovation, and partnership towards accelerating progress on sanitation for all.
The Minister said "This multi-stakeholder engagement is essential if we are to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
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"This maiden edition of the National Sanitation Conference, with the theme: ‘Accelerating Sanitation for All’, has been designed to enable learning, sharing of best practices and interaction around the central theme, and across different thematic areas, both at Plenary and Syndicate Sessions."
Prof Utsev expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his invaluable contributions, steadfast support and policy direction which has provided the enabling environment for sustainable progress and innovation within the WASH sector.
"We also extend our profound appreciation to the Vice President, His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, for his dedicated attention to the Clean Nigeria Campaign and his effective leadership as Chair of the CNC National Steering Committee." he stated
Also at the occasion, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, said that Nigeria can achieve steady progress towards ending open defecation through existing strong synergy, as he appreciated Prof Utsev and other stakeholders.
"I enjoin us all to sustain the enthusiasm and collaborative synergy that will be translated into concrete actions of achieving universal access to safe sanitation and hygiene.
"This is because the success of this conference, and indeed the sanitation movement in Nigeria, depends largely on the commitment of all stakeholders represented here today." he said
Delivering goodwill message, Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of Federal Ministry of Education, who was represented by Lafia Danlami, said the theme is not just a statement of intent but an urgent call.
Working together, he said, will ensure the future is built where no child's life is compromised.
The Minister of the FCT, Nyesome Wike, who was represented by Deputy Director Hussain Abdulkadir, disclosed to the gathering that all the six area councils in the FCT have been charged to ensure they are all declared open defecation free by the end of 2026.
WASH Development Partners, represented by Chidera Chukwu, noted that the 2030 deadline is less than five years and every delay puts lives at risk.
As a way forward, he proffered solutions including breaking away from business as usual, embarking on inclusive solutions that reach urban and rural communities and data-driven decisions.
Others who gave goodwill messages at the opening ceremony included Engr Ebele Okeke, and representatives of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and Ricketts Nigeria.