By Abbas Nazil
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev, has emphasized the crucial role of improved water quality and sanitation in combating diseases and poverty in Nigeria.
Speaking at the maiden Annual Water Quality Conference 2025 in Abuja, themed “Safe Water for Sustainable Public Health,” the minister highlighted ongoing efforts to ensure clean water access across the country.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheewlangwah, Utsev disclosed that 12 water quality laboratories have been established nationwide for monitoring and surveillance.
The government has also launched a freshwater restoration program and a Community Water Safety Plan to help rural communities prevent water contamination.
To further strengthen safety measures, the ministry has developed the Nigerian Guidelines for Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance to safeguard water from its source to the point of use.
As part of the initiative, the National Reference Water Quality Laboratories have commenced producing Hydrogen Sulphide vials for microbial water quality assessments in communities, with pilot testing underway in UNICEF-supported states.
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Highlighting the urgency of these measures, Utsev referenced the Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene National Outcomes Routine Monitoring Report of 2021, which shows that while 67 percent of Nigerians have access to basic water supply services, only a fraction have access to safely managed drinking water.
The report also reveals that 25 percent of the population still depends on unimproved water sources, increasing their exposure to waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
Sanitation remains a significant challenge, with open defecation and indiscriminate waste disposal contaminating Nigeria’s freshwater resources.
Unregulated borehole drilling and poor adherence to water quality standards have further exacerbated the crisis.
Findings from the Ministry’s 2019 monitoring activities in Rivers and open water bodies showed widespread pollution due to wastewater discharge and refuse dumping.
The Permanent Secretary, in a welcome address delivered by Director of Water Quality and Control, Elizabeth Ugwu, stressed that ensuring safe water is a public health priority, urging collaborative efforts to tackle waterborne diseases.
A 2024 UN Water Report warns that by 2030, 4.8 billion people worldwide could face severe health risks without improved water quality monitoring.
Experts at the conference stressed the need for urgent action to curb water pollution and ensure access to safe water, which remains fundamental to public health and sustainable development.
