Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, hosted a high-level delegation from the African Union Commission and the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) in Abuja on Wednesday. The visit, led by Harsen Nyambe, Director for Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the African Union Commission, and Nelson Gomonda, Officer-in-Charge of AMCOW Secretariat, aimed to strengthen collaboration on continental water governance. Other delegation members included Bala Tuham, Lead for Corporate Services; Comfort Kanshio, Policy Officer for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Jonathan Kampata, Adviser under the Blue Africa Action initiative, co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by GIZ. Utsev welcomed the engagement, calling it timely for advancing Africa's water security and sanitation agenda. He emphasized that water is central to food security, industrialisation, and climate resilience, and highlighted the AU's 2026 Theme of the Year — "Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems" — as a strategic push within Agenda 2063. The meeting focused on developing a 2026–2033 implementation plan for the Africa Water Vision 2063. Nyambe praised Nigeria's long-standing support for AMCOW, noting its role as host of the AMCOW Secretariat since 2002. He described the visit as part of broader consultations to ensure no one is left behind in water and sanitation access. Despite policy momentum, over 400 million Africans lack safe drinking water and more than 700 million lack adequate sanitation, according to the United Nations.
Nigeria hosts a continental push for water security while millions of its own citizens still lack safe water and sanitation. The minister speaks of leadership and implementation plans, yet the same gaps persist under the very government now positioning itself as a regional model. When the reality on the ground mirrors the continent's worst statistics, high-level meetings risk being exercises in symbolism. The people need pipelines and treatment plants, not just policy documents and photo opportunities.
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