Abuja:The Federal Government has emphasized the need for integrated management of Nigeria’s rivers, forests, wetlands, and watersheds to ensure the protection of water resources, public health, and livelihoods.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, highlighted this call during the commemoration of the 2026 World Rivers Day in Abuja. Utsev stressed that effective water resources management requires coordinated action by governments, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, development partners, and civil society.
The theme for the celebration, ‘No Forests, No Rivers, No Water, No Life,’ underscores the vital link between healthy ecosystems and sustainable water resources. Utsev noted that Nigeria’s rivers, including the Niger and Benue, are crucial to agriculture, food production, domestic and industrial water supply, fisheries, biodiversity, livelihoods, and economic development. He warned that the degradation of forests, wetlands, and groundwater recharge areas poses a threat to these water sources and the communities reliant on them.
Utsev identified several pressures on Nigeria’s rivers, such as population growth, urbanization, untreated wastewater, indiscriminate dumping, agricultural runoff, erosion, and sand mining. He also mentioned that climate change, varying rainfall patterns, flooding, and drought are exacerbating these challenges, necessitating integrated watershed and water resource management.
To support evidence-based water management, the ministry is enhancing its capacity to collect, analyze, and use data on rainfall, river flows, groundwater, and water quality. Utsev emphasized the importance of sanitation in protecting rivers, noting that untreated sewage and wastewater can contaminate water sources, threaten public health, and impact livelihoods.
The minister reported that 179 Local Government Areas have been validated as Open Defecation Free under the Clean Nigeria Campaign, with over 5,238 public sanitation facilities supported nationwide. He urged Nigerians to cease open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of waste into water bodies.
The government is also identifying dams for rehabilitation and exploring private-sector participation in dam construction as part of flood mitigation efforts. Additionally, the ministry is engaging state governments, including discussions with Kebbi on managing water from the Lagdo Dam.
Utsev encouraged youth to use education, technology, and community action to address issues like plastic pollution and ecosystem degradation. He called on the media to promote awareness of the connection between forests, rivers, water, and sanitation, emphasizing the need for behavioral change.
Ali Dallah, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, remarked that the choice of Wupa River as the event venue highlighted the need to protect and restore water bodies. He noted that Nigerian rivers face pollution from various activities, posing risks to water quality, public health, and biodiversity.
World Rivers Day, observed annually on the fourth Sunday of September, aims to raise awareness about the importance of rivers and promote their conservation and sustainable management. The event involves communities in over 100 countries through activities such as river clean-ups and educational programs.