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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called for water security to be integrated into Nigeria’s national security framework, warning that flooding, drought and unsafe water threaten national stability.
Speaking at the National Defence College, Abuja, Utsev said access to safe water and sanitation should no longer be treated as only a development issue but as a strategic security priority capable of preventing public health emergencies, displacement and resource-based conflicts.
He disclosed that about 154,000 hectares of irrigable land currently support over 1.6 million farmers, while efforts are underway to expand irrigation and boost food security.
The minister also revealed that the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook identified 1,249 communities in 176 LGAs across 30 states and the FCT as high flood-risk areas.
Utsev said the ministry is developing a 2026–2030 National Water Compact built on three pillars: Water for People, Water for Food, and Water for the Planet, to harmonise water and sanitation policies nationwide.
Responding, Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, described water security as central to national security and urged stronger cooperation in managing Nigeria’s shared water resources.
