The Federal Government of Nigeria and Development partners have called for stronger collaboration and increased investment to address persistent challenges in Nigeria’s urban water supply sector and expand access to safe and reliable services.
Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, who was represented by the Director of Water Supply and Support Services, Dr Mukaila Babarinde, said on Monday in Abuja at a workshop that access to safe water remained critical to public health and socio-economic development.
Speaking on the theme “Urban Water Supply Sector Report in Nigeria, Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward”, organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation with development partners, Babarinde stated that Nigeria has continued to face pressures from population growth, climate variability, water scarcity and financing gaps, which threaten Sustainable Development Goal targets on water and sanitation.
According to him, addressing the challenges required major investments, policy reforms, integrated water resources management and stronger partnerships.
He commended development partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, WaterAid and Islamic Development Bank for supporting the sector’s programmes.
He said that these programmes included the National Urban Water Sector Reform Projects, the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme, and projects in Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Yobe and Osun states.
He disclosed that about 30 per cent of Nigerians still lacked access to basic water services, while 56 per cent lacked basic sanitation.
He explained that the workshop is aimed to identify challenges, highlight success factors and guide future investments in the sector.
Speaking on behalf of the Development Partners Group for the Water and Sanitation Sector, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, commended Nigeria’s reform efforts, infrastructure investments and strengthened cooperation among stakeholders.
He stated that representatives from 25 states are attending the workshop and described it as evidence of strong national commitment to improving water services.
Fonbaustier said that Nigeria had recorded progress through governance reforms, institutional strengthening and infrastructure investments, but noted that major gaps remained.
According to him, many urban households still depended on boreholes, water vendors and tanker services, which were often costly, unreliable and unsafe.
“Accelerating access to sustainable, affordable and reliable water services remains a top priority,” he said.
He added that the workshop, supported by the French Development Agency, was designed to share experiences, identify practical solutions and strengthen sector collaboration.
Fonbaustier disclosed that the agency had committed over 300 million euros to water investments across seven Nigerian states in the past decade.
He said water investments go beyond infrastructure, improving health outcomes, reducing burdens on women and children, and supporting economic activity.
He also noted that water security challenges are now global, driven by climate change and rising demand.
GIK/APA