Stakeholders in Nigeria’s water and sanitation sector have called for urgent reforms, increased investment and stronger collaboration to address the country’s growing urban sanitation challenges.
The call was made on Tuesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the Nigeria Urban Sanitation Sector Diagnostic Study Report, conducted by the African Water Facility under the African Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII).
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, represented by the ministry’s Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr Ali Dallah, described the report as a major step towards achieving safely managed sanitation services across the country.
He commended the African Water Facility, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other development partners for supporting Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
According to the minister, the study demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening partnerships, mobilizing investment and accelerating reforms aimed at improving public health, protecting the environment and boosting livelihoods.
He stressed that sanitation is more than a public health issue, describing it as a strategic investment capable of reducing disease outbreaks, safeguarding water resources, creating jobs and driving sustainable economic growth.
Utsev said the report assessed the state of urban sanitation in Nigeria and recommended measures to strengthen regulation, improve utility performance, attract private-sector investment, and develop bankable sanitation projects.
He emphasized that no single institution could achieve universal access to safely managed sanitation on its own, adding that the ministry would deepen collaboration with partners under the AUSII initiative.
According to him, the partnership will promote inclusive sanitation, improve fecal sludge management, support resource recovery, strengthen institutional capacity and build climate-resilient sanitation systems.
Earlier, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Mr Jamilu Danhabu, warned that rapid urbanization, population growth, inadequate water supply and years of underinvestment continue to worsen sanitation challenges across the country.
He revealed that while about 60 percent of Nigerians have access to basic sanitation services, only 20 percent have access to safely managed sanitation.
Danhabu added that hygiene service coverage stands at 25 percent, while sanitation coverage is 44 percent in schools, 15 percent in healthcare facilities and just 20 percent in public places.
He noted that rapid urban expansion has outpaced sanitation infrastructure, forcing most urban households to depend on on-site sanitation systems due to the limited availability of sewer networks.
He called for greater investment in fecal sludge collection, transportation, treatment, reuse and resource recovery, alongside stronger collaboration among government, development partners and the private sector.
Danhabu also highlighted key government policies, including the National Action Plan for WASH Revitalization and the National Policy on Water Supply and Sanitation, which is currently under review.
Also speaking, AfDB Lead Operations Manager, Mr Orison Amu, described the report as a roadmap for action rather than a mere assessment of existing challenges.
He said achieving universal access to sanitation by 2030 would require coordinated efforts from governments, development partners, financial institutions, communities and the private sector.
For her part, Mrs Jeanne-Astrid Ngako of the AfDB warned that Nigeria’s projected population of more than 400 million people makes expanding access to safe sanitation an urgent national priority.
She noted that conventional sewerage systems alone would not be sufficient to meet future demand because of their high costs and complex infrastructure requirements.
Ngako said the AfDB and its partners established the African Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII) to bridge the financing gap, with a target of providing safe sanitation services to 15 million people.
She disclosed that the initiative aims to mobilize 7 billion dollars in additional investments over the next decade to accelerate sanitation development across Africa.
Ngako urged stakeholders to move beyond commitments and translate their pledges into concrete action, stressing that investment in sanitation is critical to improving public health, protecting the environment, boosting productivity and preserving human dignity.
