The Federal Government has pledged to end continuous contamination of drinking water sources, as no fewer than 41 per cent of the countrys public water supply were contaminated with faeces.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said this at the launch of the “Nigerian Roadmap for Water Quality Management and Guidelines for Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Surveillance, which was heldin Abuja on Tuesday.
Utsev said the Roadmap was an opportunity to change the poor narrative of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) indices in the country.
According to him, the 2021 WASH Normal Outcome Routine Mapping 3 shows that 67% of population have access to basic water supply services, while only 13% have access to safely managed drinking water services. The report, he said, revealed that contaminated water at the source and at the point of consumption stood at 68 and 70 percent, respectively.
Utsev, who was represented by the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, Elizabeth Ugoh, said all states had the responsibility to provide potable water for their population.
He said, However, only 28 out of the 36 States have urban water supply utilities or state water agencies, with 16 States having fully functional urban utilities, while 12 were partially functional. About 41% of all taps fed by urban water utility supply are contaminated with faecal matter, he further revealed.
A conscious effort must be made for access to improved water sources to ensure that water safety measures that minimise drinking water contamination from the source to the point of use are in place, he stated.
The WaterAid Head of WASH, Nanpet Chuktu, said the event was an opportunity for Nigeria to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs-6, as its 2030 deadline drew close. He noted that climate change had led to an increase and huge threat to water quality, citing drought in Northern Nigeria and excessive rainfall and flash flooding in Southern Nigeria, urging states to do more in water quality testing. The Minister said the event was an opportunity for all stakeholders to ensure that sustainability was achieved, as many water supply utilities were poorly managed, leading to breakdown and abandonment.
