The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has urged state governments in Nigeria to prioritise investment in providing potable water and basic sanitation to their citizens.
In an interview on Sunday, Adamu expressed his concern over the lack of adequate water and hygiene facilities in most schools and health institutions in the country, which is not in line with the targets set out by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6.
He stated that less than 10% of schools and health institutions have adequate water and sanitation facilities according to the SDG targets, and that the population of Nigeria is increasing rapidly, thus there is a need to triple the investment in the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) sector. Adamu expressed his optimism that Nigeria can still achieve SDG 6 by 2030, but this can only be possible if state governments double their efforts in investing in the sector.
The SDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. SDG 6 aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
However, Adamu stressed that achieving this goal would be difficult if state governments fail to invest in the sector. He explained that some states have different priorities and are not part of the governing party, making it difficult to implement the party’s manifesto. He added that the WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Survey is used to monitor progress on the SDG 6 targets, and while some states are doing well, most others are not.
Adamu stated that the three tiers of government need to triple the current investment in the sector to achieve the SDG targets by 2030. He emphasised that this investment would help in bridging the investment gap in meeting the SDG 6 targets and create a self-sustaining, climate-friendly, and gender-centric cycle of economic growth and human development.
He also mentioned that the Sanitation Economy and Menstrual Hygiene Marketplace in Nigeria is estimated at US$6.9 billion in 2021, with the potential to grow to US$14.3 billion by 2030, according to the 2022 Report.
