Federal Government Intensifies Efforts to Alleviate Girl-Child Burden Through Enhanced Water Security
The Federal Government has strongly reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the significant burden placed on the girl child across Nigeria by dramatically expanding access to safe water and improved sanitation facilities. Government officials declared that enhanced water security remains absolutely central to achieving genuine gender equality and driving sustainable national development forward.
Minister Utsev Highlights Disproportionate Impact on Women and Girls
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, made these crucial statements during a comprehensive press briefing held in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 World Water Day. Speaking powerfully on the theme “Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows,” the Minister emphasized that inadequate access to clean water disproportionately and severely affects women and girls throughout the nation.
This water scarcity exposes them to heightened health risks, severely limits their educational opportunities, and drastically increases their unpaid care and domestic responsibilities. Professor Utsev stressed that ensuring reliable, sustainable, and inclusive water systems would significantly ease these multifaceted burdens while simultaneously enhancing the dignity, safety, and overall productivity of the girl child.
Substantial Infrastructure Achievements Nationwide
Minister Utsev disclosed that the Ministry has successfully constructed and rehabilitated over 6,700 water schemes nationwide, providing safe drinking water to more than 32 million Nigerians. He added that approximately 500 additional projects have been implemented across underserved communities where women and girls are most acutely affected by water scarcity.
These projects include:
- Solar-powered boreholes
- Advanced water storage systems
- Expansive reticulation networks
Sanitation Improvements Under Clean Nigeria Campaign
Regarding sanitation, the Minister reported that the government has intensified efforts under the ambitious Clean Nigeria Campaign. To date, over 5,200 public sanitation facilities have been constructed, with 162 local government areas officially declared open defecation free. He emphasized that improved sanitation and hygiene are critically important for safeguarding the health, safety, and fundamental dignity of women and girls across all communities.
Strategic Partnerships and Program Implementation
The Minister further highlighted ongoing strategic partnerships with major development agencies under comprehensive programmes such as SURWASH and PEWASH. These initiatives are delivering sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services across 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while simultaneously strengthening governance frameworks, accountability mechanisms, and community-level service delivery systems.
Gender Integration and Future Commitments
Professor Utsev reaffirmed the government’s firm resolve to integrate gender considerations directly into water governance structures, actively promote women’s participation in decision-making processes, and systematically expand access to safe water in schools, health facilities, and rural communities. He noted that ongoing substantial investments in irrigation systems, dams, and comprehensive water infrastructure would further support livelihoods, enhance food security, and build resilience, particularly benefiting women in agricultural and rural sectors.
Call for Collaborative Action
The Minister urgently called upon all stakeholders—including government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector—to intensify collaboration and ensure that no Nigerian, especially women and girls, is left behind in accessing safe water and adequate sanitation facilities.
UNICEF Perspective on Water as Gender Crisis
In his supporting remarks, UNICEF WASH Manager Mr. Chiranjibi Tiwari described Nigeria’s persistent water crisis as fundamentally a gender crisis, noting that women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden where water access remains limited. He called for stronger implementation of gender-sensitive water policies, improved data collection methodologies, and precisely targeted interventions to address deep-rooted disparities within the water and sanitation sector.
