…constructs, rehabilitates over 6,700 water schemes

…UNESCO calls for equal access to water by women, girls

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2026 World Water Day, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev, Tuesday, disclosed delivery of safe drinking water to over 32 million Nigerians.

Utsev made this known in his keynote address at a press conference to mark the Day, where he acknowledged that the 2026 theme, ‘Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,’ as a pointer to “reflect deeply on the powerful relationship between access to water and sanitation.

He said the theme also aligns strongly with Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 6, underscoring the fact that water scarcity and poor sanitation disproportionately affect the health, safety, dignity and economic opportunities of women and girls.

According to the Minister, the government is scaling access to safe water and sanitation with special attention to rural communities, schools, health facilities and public institutions and promoting gender-responsive WASH infrastructure that ensures privacy, safety and menstrual hygiene management.

He further stated that, “This is therefore not merely a day of celebration, but one of reflection, renewed commitment and collective action. Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are gathered to reaffirm the centrality of water and sanitation to Nigeria’s development aspirations.

“The slogan for this year, ‘Where Water Flows, Equality Grows’, captures a fundamental truth: water is not only a basic human need, but also a foundation for dignity, health, opportunity and equity. Where water and sanitation systems are inclusive, reliable and sustainable, women and girls thrive; and when women and girls thrive, communities prosper and nations advance.

“Access to clean water and dignified sanitation reduces the burden of unpaid care work, improves school attendance for girls, strengthens maternal and child health outcomes, and expands the economic participation of women.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria recognizes that achieving universal access to water and sanitation is central not only to the attainment of SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation and SDG 5 on gender equality, but also to the realization of our broader national development goals.

“It is in this regard that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources & Sanitation continues to implement strategic interventions aimed at improving water supply, sanitation, irrigation, flood management, and institutional strengthening across the country.

“In the water supply and sanitation subsector, the Ministry has constructed and rehabilitated over 6,700 water schemes nationwide, delivering safe drinking water to over 32 million Nigerians.

“In rural communities alone, we have implemented numerous water supply interventions benefiting over 2 million people, while about 500 new water supply projects comprising solar-powered boreholes, storage facilities, reticulation systems and fetching points have been undertaken nationwide.”

He also maintained that on sanitation, the Ministry has continued to drive the Clean Nigeria use the toilet Campaign with renewed vigour.

“As part of our efforts to eliminate open defecation and improve hygiene behaviour, over 5,238 public sanitation facilities have so far been constructed nationwide, while 162 Local Government Areas have now been certified Open Defecation Free (ODF)”, he said.

Speaking on dam infrastructure and services, the Minister said the Tinubu-led administration has constructed, rehabilitated and utilized dams including Kashimbilla Multipurpose Dam; Gurara Dam; Dadin Kowa Dam; Mangu Dam; Adada Dam; Ogbesse Multipurpose Dam; and Alau Dam for farm irrigation, power generation, flood control and other other uses.

“These projects reinforce our resolve to position water as a driver of clean energy, water security, livelihoods and inclusive development”, he added.

Meanwhile, the UNESCO representative for Nigeria, Dr. Enang Momah, the ‘UN World Water Development Report, Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities’ to the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev.

Dr Momah said the report indicated that gender inequalities remain a major challenge in global water security as women and girls continue to suffer the brunt.

According to her, “60 million Nigerians, that is nearly one in four of us, is struggling every day to access drinking water.

“Most houses, can’t see drinking water. They have to buy what is in quotes, pure water and all that, and they resort to unsafe water, like unprotected wells and the rest.

“Across Nigeria also, we are experiencing extreme events. There’s flooding, and when flooding occurs, you have pollution, water getting contaminated.

“So, there is really the problem of water, and most of every hour, a Nigerian child or a Nigerian girl spends time fetching water, the valuable time she would have used to be in school, she has to wake up in the morning to go and fetch water, and by the time they come back, school is over, or they cannot participate. This is what we are seeing in the Nigerian context.”

She said it imperative to “Increase women’s representation in water-related employment decision-making is essential for inclusivity, for effective governance, and then also supporting water education, and water training.”

The Ministry also sensitized Lugbe Community on water use, hygiene, and how to help women and girls by ensuring the community make efforts to provide potable water for them.

It also distributed over 500 sanitary pads to women and girls, and assured government’s commitment to ensure access to water as women and girls use more of water for the home and themselves.