FG, AfDB seek greater private sector investment in urban sanitation

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other stakeholders to attract more private sector investment into Nigeria's urban sanitation sector and expand access to safe water across the country.

Speaking at the launch of the Nigeria Urban Sanitation Sector Diagnostic Report and the Africa Water Investment Programme in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said the report provides a strategic roadmap for transforming urban sanitation in Nigeria.

The minister, who was represented by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary and Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations, Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dallah, said the report comes at a time when the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to improve sanitation services, strengthen sector governance and mobilise public and private investment to bridge the country's sanitation infrastructure gap.

He commended the AfDB and the African Water Facility for supporting Nigeria's water and sanitation sector, stressing that achieving universal access to safely managed sanitation services would require innovative financing, stronger institutions and active private sector participation.

"The Federal Government remains committed to creating an enabling environment that encourages investment, strengthens institutional capacity and promotes sustainable sanitation solutions capable of improving public health, protecting the environment and driving economic growth," he said.

Utsev described sanitation as a critical driver of national development, saying improved sanitation would enhance public health, environmental sustainability, productivity and job creation.

Earlier, the Lead Operations Manager of the AfDB Nigeria Country Department, Orison Amu, reaffirmed the bank's commitment to supporting Nigeria's efforts to achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation.

He described the diagnostic report as a strategic tool for guiding investment and reforms, adding that implementing its recommendations would be crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 by 2030.

Also speaking, the AfDB's Division Manager, AHWS.1, Jeanne-Astrid Ngako De Foki, called for increased investment, innovative financing and stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, the private sector and communities to improve urban sanitation.

Presenting an overview of Nigeria's urban sanitation status, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Jamilu Habu, identified inadequate financing, weak institutional coordination and poor sanitation infrastructure as major challenges facing the sector.

He urged stakeholders to strengthen governance, increase private sector participation and sustain collaboration to accelerate access to safely managed sanitation services nationwide.

The event brought together officials from federal and state ministries, development partners, financial institutions, academia, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and private sector operators, who pledged support for implementing the report's recommendations.