Health
FG, development partners seek stronger reforms in water sector
By Gift Habib
The Federal Government and Development Partners have reiterated the need for sustained reforms, increased investment and stronger partnerships to improve urban water supply and sanitation services across the country.
Speaking at the Workshop on ‘Urban Water Supply Sector Reform in Nigeria: Progresses, Challenges, and Way Forward’ held in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said the country must intensify efforts to address challenges facing water and sanitation service delivery.
The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in collaboration with development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the European Union. It was financially supported by France through the Agence Française de Développement.
Addressing participants, including state commissioners, permanent secretaries, chief executives of state water agencies and development partners, the minister, who was represented by the Director of Water Supply and Support Services at the ministry, Babarinde Mukaila, described access to quality water services as one of the major challenges confronting many African countries.
According to him, increasing water scarcity, population growth, climate change variability and financing gaps have continued to threaten the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals on water and sanitation.
“As we all know, provision of quality water services remains one of the biggest challenges in many countries in Africa, and Nigeria is no exception.
“With increasing water scarcity and risks associated with population growth and climate change variability, combined with the financing gap experienced in many countries, to meet the SDGs for Water (Goal 6.1) and Sanitation (Goal 6.2), concerted effort is needed and through large infrastructure investments in water and sanitation, major governance and policy reforms, and an integrated approach towards sustainable water management and more importantly partnership,” Utsev stated.
The minister noted that development partners, including the French Development Agency, World Bank, African Development Bank, United Nations Children’s Fund, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, WaterAid, JICA, Islamic Development Bank and the European Union, had financed “several programmes aimed at improving infrastructure facilities and services to the urban and rural populations” over the years.
He listed the interventions to include the first, second and third National Urban Water Sector Reform Projects in Enugu, Kaduna, Ogun, Lagos, Cross River, Bauchi and Ekiti states; the Urban Water and Sanitation Improvement Project in Oyo and Taraba states; Zaria Water and Sanitation Expansion Project; Urban Water Sector Reform and Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project; Urban Water Sector Reform and Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project; and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sub-Programs for Yobe and Osun states.
Utsev said that despite the progress recorded, significant challenges remained.
“While these programmes have helped in increasing access to improved water and sanitation services, the challenge is to attain universal coverage and improved reliability and sustainability of services with an estimated 30 per cent and 56 per cent of citizens still having no access to basic water supply services and basic sanitation services respectively (FMWRS, WASHNORM 2019),” he said.
He explained that the workshop was convened to examine implementation challenges, identify successful strategies and draw lessons from local and international experiences.
“The outcomes of this workshop will inform my Ministry and Development Partner Group on how to structure future interventions,” Utsev added.
The minister urged participants to focus on practical solutions to sector challenges and commended development partners for supporting ongoing reforms in urban water services.
Also speaking, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Marc Fonbaustier, reaffirmed France’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to improve urban water services.
Speaking on behalf of the Development Partners Group for the Water and Sanitation Sector in Nigeria, Fonbaustier commended the progress made by Nigeria over the past decade through reforms, infrastructure investments and stronger collaboration among stakeholders.
The envoy stated, “Over the past decade, Nigeria has made significant efforts to improve urban water services through major reforms, substantial investments in infrastructure, strengthened governance frameworks, and enhanced collaboration between the Federal Government, State governments, water utilities and development partners,” he said.
He noted, however, that many urban residents still depend on alternative sources of water supply.
“Many urban households still rely on private boreholes, water vendors, and tanker services, which are often costly, unreliable, and do not always provide safe water for domestic use,” he stated.
Fonbaustier stressed that expanding access to affordable and sustainable water services remains a critical priority, describing the workshop as an important platform for addressing existing gaps and sharing practical solutions.
He disclosed that France, through the Agence Française de Développement, had “remained committed to Nigeria’s vision of reliable and resilient urban water services.”
The envoy added, “Over the past decade, AFD has committed more than 300 million euros in water sector investments across seven Nigerian states.”
He stressed that the projects supported by France extend beyond physical infrastructure and are designed to improve livelihoods and economic opportunities.
“The projects we implement together go far beyond infrastructure. They are investments for people. Access to safe water improves health outcomes, reduces the burden on women and children, supports economic activities, and enhances the quality of life of entire communities,” he said.
The ambassador also lauded the ministry for convening the workshop and acknowledged the commitment of participants working to improve water services nationwide.
Reflecting on the global challenge of water security, Fonbaustier said Europeans often take access to clean water for granted, a situation he believes is changing as water resources come under increasing pressure.
“I am coming from a country, France, and more broadly Europe, where people take for granted that water and quality water are available everywhere at any time. It is wrong,” he noted.
He added that Nigerians may be better positioned to appreciate and respond to the realities of water scarcity.
“Nigerians are more advanced than we are, because you know the challenge. You know that we are confronted with a scissors effect, with growing needs and decreasing resources. We have to follow your example in our countries,” the envoy applauded.
Earlier, Mukaila reviewed Nigeria’s urban water reforms, from early colonial-era systems in cities like Lagos, Kano and Ibadan to later challenges caused by urbanisation, ageing infrastructure and weak management.
Mukaila highlighted key reform programmes supported by partners such as the World Bank and African Development Bank, including the ongoing Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme initiative (2021–2028), aimed at improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The Deputy Country Director of the AFD in Nigeria, Mahamadou Diarra, said Africa has abundant water resources but continues to struggle with access to potable water.
Diarra stated, “Africa does not lack water. Water is abundant, but we lack portable water because we have, so far, not been able to transform the potential into impact.”
He stressed that funding was not the major challenge facing the sector, noting that development partners had made significant resources available for water projects across the country.
“Let me say it right away: the problem is not the funding. Because we, as donors, have made available an immense amount of money for the states, for the Federal Government of Nigeria, to have projects being prepared and implemented for the benefit of the population,” he said.
According to him, the key issue is ensuring the sustainability of water systems through efficient operations, revenue collection and quality service delivery. He added that infrastructure development alone would not solve the problem.
Diarra explained, “If we build the infrastructure alone, we have not resolved the problem—we will not resolve the problem with infrastructure alone. We need to have a total system that functions.”
Representing Akwa Ibom State, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Ubuo Effiong Ubuo, said Governor Umo Eno had demonstrated a strong commitment to the sector by creating a standalone ministry for water resources and approving major investments in water infrastructure.
Ubuo stated that the state government had completed assessments of existing facilities and was replacing damaged infrastructure to improve the urban water supply.
The commissioner disclosed that the state was preparing to commence the construction of water schemes in all 369 wards across Akwa Ibom.
“As I speak with you, we are done with the technical aspect of that job, so it will be rolled out. It will be flagged off any moment from now for the real construction of those water schemes in the state,” he said.
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