The federal government has begun nationwide consultations with states and other stakeholders to develop a national water compact aimed at strengthening water security and addressing persistent challenges in Nigeria’s water and sanitation sector.
Joseph Utsev, minister of water resources and sanitation, disclosed the initiative on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ consultation workshop for the development of the compact.
Utsev said the framework was being developed in response to pressures including rapid urbanisation, population growth, climate change, environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, fragmented institutional arrangements and financing constraints.
He said the consultation would bring together state governments, development partners, civil society organisations, academics, private-sector stakeholders and other institutions to build consensus around reforms needed to improve water management across the country.
The proposed compact is expected to provide a coordinated framework for addressing water supply, sanitation, irrigation and broader water-resource management, while strengthening Nigeria’s ability to cope with climate-related pressures on water resources.
The government’s approach places water security alongside food production and environmental protection, reflecting growing pressure on communities and ecosystems from changing rainfall patterns, population growth and environmental degradation.
The consultations are expected to inform the final national water compact and provide a basis for coordinated action between the federal and state governments.
