The Federal Government has restated its commitment to achieving universal access to clean, safe and sustainable water and sanitation services for Nigerians, saying reforms are underway to move the sector from fragmented institutions to a coordinated national system.
The Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, made the declaration on Tuesday while addressing delegates at the ongoing Africa Water Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium in Kigali, Republic of Rwanda.
Prof. Utsev said under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the government has brought all stakeholders on board through various programmes, projects and reforms.
He listed some of the key initiatives to include:
SURWASH – Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign
SPIN – Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria
PEWASH – Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene
National Action Plan
The Minister, in a statement by Terhemen Oraduen, Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, said the government is working with development partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNICEF, WaterAid and the private sector to complement public resources.
To accelerate attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030, Prof. Utsev disclosed that the Ministry has commenced development of the National Water Compact.
“The Compact is designed to address water for people, water for food and water for planet in collaboration with states and local governments,” he said, adding that the final draft will be validated by stakeholders this month.
He also noted that Nigeria, through AMCOW – African Ministers’ Council on Water, is collaborating with other African countries towards the attainment of the Africa Implementation Programme, AIP.
The Minister emphasised the need for stronger collaboration from leaders, development partners and critical stakeholders across Africa to accelerate action towards achieving universal access to clean, safe and sustainable water.
Declaring the symposium open, Prime Minister of Rwanda, Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, appealed to African leaders and development partners to make sincere commitments and take practical actions to achieve the continent’s vision of 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 AMCOW and facilitated by IRC Africa.
It focuses on strengthening leadership, governance, regulation, professional capacity, and strategic public finance to create reliable and investment-ready systems.
Over 700 delegates from across Africa and the world are attending.