The 2026 World Water Day spotlighted the disproportionate impact of water scarcity on women and girls, with the theme "Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows." Nigeria marked the occasion with commitments from the Federal Government to expand access to safe water and sanitation, particularly for underserved populations. Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Joseph Terlumun Utsev affirmed that gender inclusiveness is central to sustainable development, noting that clean water access reduces the burden of unpaid care work, boosts girls' school attendance and improves maternal and child health. Permanent Secretary Emanso Umobong acknowledged that water insecurity limits opportunities for women and girls. The ministry has constructed or rehabilitated over 6,700 water schemes, delivering safe water to more than 32 million Nigerians, while the Clean Nigeria Campaign has built over 5,200 public sanitation facilities and certified 162 local government areas as open defecation-free. Collaborative efforts with UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank are expanding WASH services across 17 states and the FCT. UNICEF WASH manager Chiranjibi Tiwari described Nigeria's water crisis as a "gender crisis," urging gender-responsive policies and data-driven solutions. UNICEF highlighted its decades-long work drilling wells, building latrines and trucking water during emergencies, stressing community ownership and sustainable maintenance.
Joseph Terlumun Utsev's claim of 32 million Nigerians gaining safe water must be weighed against the reality that over 60 million still lack access. If gender equality hinges on water access, then progress measured in millions still leaves too many girls walking long distances for water instead of attending school. The minister's emphasis on collaboration sounds promising, but without verifiable tracking and local accountability, such figures risk being more rhetorical than transformative. For rural women, a solar-powered borehole means little if maintenance systems fail and no one is held responsible.
