The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) situation, revealing that only 10 percent of Nigerians have access to complete basic WASH services.
Speaking at a two-day media dialogue themed “Accelerating Actions to Improve Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria” organized with the Oyo State Ministry of Information, UNICEF WASH Specialist Mr. Monday Johnson warned that rapid urbanization is putting severe pressure on existing water and sanitation infrastructure.
“More people are moving into cities, thereby overstretching the limited sanitation and hygiene facilities,” Johnson said, noting that by 2050, the situation could worsen drastically if urgent action is not taken.
He commended Ekiti and Lagos States for updating their WASH policies but lamented that most states are yet to follow suit, leaving millions without clean water or adequate sanitation.
Johnson urged state governments to increase funding, enforce WASH policies, and encourage private sector participation to bridge the service delivery gaps.
To combat open defecation and poor hygiene, Johnson recommended that public places such as markets and filling stations be mandated to provide clean WASH facilities.
He also called for the creation of a dedicated Urban Sanitation Coordination Unit to ensure effective budgeting, implementation, and accountability.
Highlighting the rural-urban divide, he stressed that rural dwellers are three times more disadvantaged than urban residents. Johnson concluded that the availability of good WASH facilities remains the foundation of healthy living and urged immediate action to avert a looming public health crisis.
Reporting by Julie Ekong