The Federal Government stated on Tuesday that Nigeria has achieved some success in providing safe water and sanitation. However, it warned that a much stronger commitment is essential to meet Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6) by the 2030 deadline.
Professor Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, delivered this message in Abuja. He spoke at the Annual Review Meeting for the third phase of the Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA III) project.
Represented by Permanent Secretary Mr. Richard Pheelangwa, Utsev acknowledged the measurable improvements ASWA has brought. He highlighted that the ASWA II phase, implemented across six Local Government Areas in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno states since 2019, provided safe drinking water to 900,000 people and sanitation services to 775,880, despite regional conflicts.
“More than 450,000 people were sensitised on handwashing,” he said.
He added that 35 schools and 40 healthcare facilities were equipped with WASH facilities, and Nigeria’s first sector-wide sustainability checks were also conducted under the programme.
ASWA III, he explained, was designed to build on those gains by delivering climate-resilient WASH services to at least 360,000 people in Adamawa and Kaduna States.
“The new phase will focus on system strengthening, clean energy use, market-based delivery, and partnerships, while remaining flexible to address security risks,” he said.
Citing the 2021 WASHNORM survey, Utsev said 67 per cent of Nigerians now had access to basic water supply, and 151 LGAs across 21 states had been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).
He acknowledged improvements in hygiene and handwashing practices but stressed that more must be done to meet the SDG 6 targets within the next five years.
He urged Adamawa and Kaduna states to take ASWA III implementation seriously and exceed the achievements of the previous phase.
Utsev commended the Government of the Netherlands, UNICEF, and other partners for their continued collaboration and support to the WASH sector in Nigeria.
“We assure you of our commitment to ensuring every investment yields value for the Nigerian people,” he said while declaring the meeting open.
The Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bengt Van Loosdrecht, applauded Nigeria’s progress under ASWA II and reaffirmed his country’s support for the WASH agenda.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Waafa Saeed, said the country’s WASH story was changing, with stronger government commitment and community participation driving improvements.
UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of WASH, Ms. Jane Bevan, and Mr Peem Vandermalen from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs both underscored the importance of access to clean water and sanitation as a basic human right.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that eight African countries, including Nigeria, are participating in ASWA III, an initiative supported by the Netherlands and UNICEF to expand WASH services in underserved communities.
