Nigeria has unveiled a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to transform the country’s urban sanitation sector and attract greater investment.
The report was launched in Abuja during the presentation of the Institutional Finance Project Assessment and Nigeria’s Water and Sanitation Diagnostic Report, produced with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other development partners.
Representing the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Ali Ibrahim Dallah, said the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to attract investment, improve access to safe water and promote sustainable sanitation services.
Dallah thanked the AfDB and its partners for supporting the country’s water sector, saying collaboration among government, development partners, financial institutions, the private sector and communities was essential to transforming the sector.
He said increased investment in water resources would reduce public health challenges, protect the environment, improve productivity, create economic opportunities and encourage greater private sector participation.
Presenting the diagnostic report, the ministry’s Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Engr. Jamilu Danhabu, identified weak institutional coordination, inadequate financing, limited infrastructure and gaps in faecal sludge management as major constraints to the sector.
He said effective sanitation required improvements across the entire service chain, including containment, collection, transportation, treatment, reuse and safe disposal of waste.
Danhabu said government had made progress through policy reforms, strategic programmes and partnerships with development agencies, but stressed the need to strengthen governance, expand sanitation coverage, improve hygiene practices and promote inclusive city-wide sanitation services.
The Lead Operations Manager of the AfDB Nigeria Country Department, Mr Orison Amu, described the report as a roadmap for action rather than a catalogue of challenges.
Amu said achieving universal access to sanitation by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, would require coordinated efforts by the Federal Government, states, development partners, financial institutions, communities and the private sector.
He said government alone could not address the country’s sanitation challenges, calling for stronger private sector participation, improved access to finance, stronger institutions and a more conducive investment environment.
Also speaking, the AfDB’s Division Manager for Water Security and Sanitation, Mrs Jeanne-Astrid Ngako, said urban sanitation remained a national development priority requiring urgent action, innovation and collaboration.
Ngako said although sewer networks remained important, on-site sanitation systems would continue to play a critical role in serving underserved communities because they were more affordable and adaptable.
She said innovative financing mechanisms were needed to bridge existing investment gaps and improve access to sanitation services.
According to her, the initiative’s success will be measured not by reports or meetings but by cleaner cities, healthier communities, protected water resources and improved quality of life for millions of Nigerians.
She urged stakeholders to translate commitments into concrete action to accelerate progress in the sector.
