Federal Government begins nationwide consultation for National Water Compact to address water and sanitation challenges

This compact aims to tackle persistent water and sanitation challenges, enhance water security, and strengthen the water sector across the country. Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, stated that the initiative is crucial due to rapid urbanization, population growth, climate change, environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, fragmented institutional arrangements, and financing constraints. These issues have impacted Nigeria's ability to provide reliable water supply, sanitation services, and productive water use.

The compact is being developed in line with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda and seeks to provide a coordinated framework for transforming the water sector. It will focus on strengthening governance and institutional coordination, improving financing, accelerating access to safe and climate-resilient water supply and sanitation services, supporting irrigation development, and enhancing water security. The National Technical Working Committee has completed the first draft, and the current consultations aim to gather feedback, identify gaps, and determine state priorities before the final document is produced.

The Minister emphasized that the compact's success relies on the ownership and participation of state governments and other stakeholders, as states play a significant role