Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Depends On Water Resources – Minister

The federal government has said that Nigeria’s ability to achieve sustainable development largely depends on the sustainable management and protection of its water resources.

The minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, stated this yesterday in Abuja during a media briefing to mark the 2026 World Rivers Day, with the theme “No Forests, No Rivers, No Water, No Life.”

Utsev said water was central to virtually every aspect of national development, including food security, public health, energy, industry, transportation and environmental sustainability.

“As a nation, we cannot achieve sustainable development without sustainable water resources,” he said.

The minister, however, warned that Nigeria’s rivers were facing increasing pressure from population growth, urbanisation, untreated wastewater, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, agricultural runoff, erosion, sand mining and other human activities.

He said these challenges were being compounded by climate change, including shifting rainfall patterns and more frequent flooding and drought.

conomic activities.

He stressed that healthy rivers depended on healthy catchments, noting that forests, wetlands, floodplains and groundwater recharge areas helped protect river sources and regulate water flow.

“Where these ecosystems are degraded, our rivers and the communities that depend on them are placed at risk,” he said.

The minister said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation was strengthening Integrated Water Resources Management and working with relevant agencies to protect and restore watersheds and river catchments.

He added that the ministry was strengthening its capacity to collect, analyse and use data on rainfall, river flows, groundwater and water quality to improve water management.

Utsev also linked sustainable water resources management to sanitation, warning that untreated sewage and wastewater entering rivers could threaten public health, livelihoods and water supplies.

He disclosed that 179 Local Government Areas had so far been validated as Open Defecation Free under the Federal Government’s Clean Nigeria Campaign, while more than 5,238 public sanitation facilities had been supported nationwide.

He urged Nigerians to stop open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, plastics and effluents into waterways, while calling for the conservation of forests and wetlands that sustain river sources.

Utsev also called for stronger collaboration among federal, state and local governments, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners and civil society, stressing that the protection of water resources could not be achieved by government alone.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Engr. Ali Dallah said forests and healthy watersheds played a critical role in sustaining rivers by regulating water flows, reducing soil erosion, protecting water quality and supporting groundwater recharge.

He said Nigeria’s rivers were facing pollution from domestic, industrial and agricultural activities, indiscriminate waste disposal, deforestation, erosion, uncontrolled development along river corridors and climate change.

Dallah said the choice of the Wupa River for the celebration was intended to demonstrate the need for practical action to protect and restore the country’s water bodies and surrounding ecosystems.

He urged Nigerians to translate the theme of the celebration into action by protecting forests, safeguarding watersheds, keeping rivers clean and promoting responsible use of water resources.