The Federal Government is rallying Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) behind a new national plan to tackle the country’s persistent water and sanitation crisis.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, disclosed this in Abuja at a nationwide stakeholders’ consultation workshop to develop the Nigeria National Water Compact (NWC).
Utsev said he had written to the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to secure the governors’ political commitment, ownership and buy-in for the initiative.
He said the involvement of state governments was crucial to the success of the Compact because of their constitutional and operational responsibilities for water supply, sanitation and hygiene services.
The minister also said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been briefed on progress in developing the draft Compact.
According to him, the initiative is being developed as a coordinated national response to major challenges facing Nigeria’s water sector, including rapid population growth, urbanisation, climate change, environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, financing constraints and fragmented institutional arrangements.
‘Water is at the centre of sustainable development. It underpins public health, food security, economic growth, environmental sustainability, energy production and national security,’ Utsev said.
He said a National Technical Working Committee comprising representatives of federal and state governments, development partners, academia, professional bodies, civil society organisations and the private sector developed the first draft of the Compact.
Utsev explained that the Compact would domesticate the African Union’s Africa Water Vision and Policy 2025-2063 while addressing Nigeria’s specific water security needs and development priorities.
The framework, he said, would be anchored on three pillars: Water for People, Water for Food Security and Water for Planet.
He said it would seek to expand access to safe and climate-resilient water and sanitation services, accelerate irrigation development and productive water use, and strengthen the sustainable management and protection of Nigeria’s water resources.
The minister stressed that the Compact must not become another policy document without broad ownership and effective implementation.
‘The Ministry recognises that a National Water Compact cannot succeed unless it reflects the aspirations, priorities and realities of the Nigerian people,’ he said.
He urged state governments and other stakeholders to critically review the draft, identify gaps and make practical recommendations to strengthen its implementation.
In his welcome address, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dalla, said the consultation was necessary to ensure that the Compact became a truly national document.
Dalla said achieving sustainable water security would require stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, states, local governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society and communities.
He identified improved financing, institutional capacity, reliable data, innovation, appropriate technology, and effective implementation mechanisms as critical to the initiative’s success.
The minister commended the World Bank Group and other development partners for supporting the development of the Compact and acknowledged the contributions of members of the National Technical Working Committee.