FG Raises Alarm over 41% Contaminated Water Supply

The Federal Government has raised the alarm that over 41 percent of public water supply is contaminated with human faeces, vowing to end flagrant contamination of drinking water.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev disclosed said this on Tuesday at the launch of the Nigerian Roadmap for Water Quality Management and Guidelines for Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Surveillance in Abuja.
The 2021 WASH Normal Outcome Routine Mapping 3 highlighted that 67 per cent of Nigerians have access to basic water supply, while only 13 per cent have access to safely managed drinking water.
Utsev noted that the roadmap is an opportunity to change the poor narrative of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) indices in the country.
He hinted that contaminated water at the source and at the point of consumption stood at 68 and 70 per cent respectively.
Utsev disclosed that all the States are mandated to provide potable water for their residents, harping on the need for conscious effort to improve clean water supply.
The minister who was represented by the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, insisted on safety measures that would minimise the consumption of contaminated water.
He stated that 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 had partially functional urban water supply.
Utsev informed that the event was an opportunity for stakeholders to harmonize their roles and guarantee access to portable water, lamenting that many water supply utilities were poorly managed and abandoned.
The Desk Officer of Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) Mrs Zuliat Mohammed insisted that many water utilities were poorly managed, suggesting the need for continuous capacity building to change the narrative.
She was optimistic that the meeting would generate actionable plans that would be implemented in states in order to encourage ownership especially at the community level.
The Head of WASH, WaterAid, Mr Nanpet Chuktu hinted that the roadmap was an opportunity for Nigeria to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals 6 as the 2030 deadline inches closer.
He maintained that climate change is a huge threat to water quality, citing drought in northern Nigeria and excessive rainfall and flash flooding in Southern Nigeria.
To this end, he urged states to increase water quality testing.