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Says no water security, no climate future
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Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof Joseph Utsev has declared that Nigeria cannot win the fight against climate change without guaranteeing water security, sanitation and climate-resilient Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services.
Speaking at the opening of the 3rd Annual National WASH and Climate Change Conference in Abuja, Utsev warned that the country’s climate adaptation efforts would remain ineffective unless water, sanitation and hygiene become central to national planning.
“Without water security and environmental protection, there can be no climate resilience. Without sanitation, there can be no public health resilience. And without resilient WASH systems, adaptation efforts remain incomplete,” he said.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation is integrating climate resilience into water resources management and WASH service delivery in line with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0).
He identified priority actions to include building climate-resilient water infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events, improving integrated water resources management, expanding climate-smart sanitation solutions, strengthening hydrological monitoring and early warning systems, and attracting greater climate finance for WASH adaptation programmes.
Utsev also called for stronger community participation, gender inclusion and greater involvement of state governments, describing sub-national authorities as critical drivers of climate adaptation.
Reviewing progress since the 2025 conference, he said, although the action plan adopted last year remains relevant, climate challenges have intensified, making urgent implementation imperative.
He commended development partners, including WaterAid, UNICEF, the National Council on Climate Change, members of the National Technical Working Group on Climate Change and WASH, academia and other stakeholders for supporting Nigeria’s climate resilience agenda.
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Expressing optimism that the conference would produce practical recommendations to strengthen climate adaptation, the minister urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that no community is left behind.
Utsev thereafter declared the National Climate Change and WASH Conference officially open.
Representing the Ministry of Environment, Chika Opara said climate change continues to increase pressure on water resources, sanitation infrastructure, food security and ecosystems. She noted that floods, droughts, erosion and desertification were becoming more frequent, threatening the resilience of communities across the country.
She said the Federal Ministry of Environment remained committed to implementing climate adaptation and mitigation programmes, promoting environmental sanitation, strengthening pollution control, supporting integrated waste management and advancing the One Health approach to improve environmental and public health outcomes.
Also representing the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Maria Yuazake assured participants that climate-resilient WASH programmes would continue to receive attention in national planning and budgeting processes through strategic investments and sustainable financing mechanisms.
On her part, the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Temi Majekodumni, represented by Amudi Chioma Felistas, described the conference as timely, noting that it would help translate Nigeria’s climate commitments into practical implementation plans.
She said climate-resilient WASH interventions would also create green jobs, improve livelihoods and strengthen environmental protection while supporting implementation of the country’s NDC 3.0.
Speaking on behalf of WaterAid, Mr Kolawole Banwo commended the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the National Technical Working Group on Climate-Resilient WASH for sustaining the annual conference.
He emphasised that climate action requires a government-led, sector-wide approach involving development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector and the media.
