{"id":6762,"date":"2026-06-10T08:18:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T08:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/?p=6762"},"modified":"2026-06-10T08:18:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T08:18:34","slug":"fg-pushes-water-sector-reform-through-partnership-led-investment-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/fg-pushes-water-sector-reform-through-partnership-led-investment-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"FG Pushes Water Sector Reform Through Partnership-Led Investment Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ayo Susan<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At a national workshop on \u2018Urban Water Supply Sector Reform in Nigeria: Progresses, Challenges and Way Forward\u2019 held recently in Abuja, Joseph Utsev, Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, called for intensified reforms, increased investment and stronger partnerships to improve water and sanitation service delivery across Nigeria. The workshop, organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation with support from the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), European Union (EU) and Agence Fran\u00e7aise de D\u00e9veloppement, reviewed progress, challenges and future priorities in the sector. Represented by Babarinde Mukaila, Director of Water Supply and Support Services, Utsev argued that infrastructure investment, governance reforms and coordinated stakeholder action remain essential to achieving universal access.<\/p>\n

“Provision of quality water services remains one of the biggest challenges in many countries in Africa, and Nigeria is no exception,” Utsev said.<\/p>\n

DECISION HIGHLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The workshop signals a policy shift from infrastructure-focused interventions towards system-wide reform centred on governance, sustainability and institutional performance.<\/p>\n

While development financing remains significant, stakeholders increasingly agree that long-term success depends on operational efficiency, revenue sustainability, stronger institutions and coordinated sector management.<\/p>\n

The emerging consensus is that infrastructure alone will not close Nigeria’s water access gap.<\/p>\n

DECISION MEMO <\/strong><\/p>\n

The discussions revealed an important evolution in Nigeria’s water sector narrative.<\/p>\n

For years, policy conversations largely focused on funding deficits and infrastructure shortages. The latest engagement suggests that attention is shifting towards how water systems are governed, operated and sustained after construction.<\/p>\n

Utsev linked future progress to reforms and partnerships capable of addressing mounting pressures from population growth, climate variability and water scarcity.<\/p>\n

“Concerted effort is needed through large infrastructure investments in water and sanitation, major governance and policy reforms, and an integrated approach towards sustainable water management and more importantly partnership,” he said.<\/p>\n

The scale of the challenge remains significant. Despite decades of interventions by government and development partners, service coverage remains uneven and reliability concerns persist.<\/p>\n

According to Utsev, approximately 30 percent of Nigerians still lack access to basic water services, while 56 percent remain without access to basic sanitation.<\/p>\n

Development partners broadly echoed the need for a systems-based approach.<\/p>\n

Marc Fonbaustier, Ambassador of France to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, acknowledged progress achieved through reforms and investment but noted that many urban residents still depend on private boreholes, water vendors and tanker services.<\/p>\n

“Many urban households still rely on private boreholes, water vendors, and tanker services, which are often costly, unreliable, and do not always provide safe water for domestic use,” Fonbaustier said.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most significant intervention came from Mahamadou Diarra, Deputy Country Director of Agence Fran\u00e7aise de D\u00e9veloppement in Nigeria, who challenged the assumption that finance remains the sector’s primary constraint.<\/p>\n

“Let me say it right away: the problem is not the funding,” Diarra stated.<\/p>\n

According to him, the central challenge is sustainability.<\/p>\n

“If we build the infrastructure alone, we have not resolved the problem. We need to have a total system that functions.”<\/p>\n

That observation reframes the debate from capital mobilisation towards institutional effectiveness, operational management and service delivery outcomes.<\/p>\n

DATA BOX<\/strong><\/p>\n