Nigeria Is Losing $3bn Yearly To Poor Sanitation – FG

The Federal Government has come out to say that Nigeria is currently off-track concerning progress on achieving the global Sustainable Development Goal sanitation target and is regrettably among those behind.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev recently revealed this to the press, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to him, the target is to achieve by 2030, access to adequate and equitable sanitation for all, and end of open defecation, while paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

He added that access to the right sanitation is not just a basic human right, but an essential foundation for social and economic development.

His words, “The Sustainable Development Goal target 6.2 for sanitation seeks to achieve by 2030, access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.

We acknowledge that access to safely managed sanitation is not just a basic human right, but an essential foundation for social and economic development.

With only six years to the SDG target date of 2030, progress on achieving the global SDG sanitation target of safely managed services is off-track and regrettably among those furthest behind.

In Nigeria, only about half of the population (46 per cent) has access to basic sanitation services and about a quarter are practising open defecation, with only 18 per cent of the population having access to safely managed services.

Achieving the SDG target 6.2 will, therefore, require us to make five times the current progress and triple our investment in the sector.

The Federal Government is committed to the actualisation of the SDG 6 target for Sanitation and our commitment is motivated by the realisation that it would contribute significantly to the achievement of our national developmental goals and the key priority areas of this government.”