The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other development partners to attract private sector investment and accelerate reforms aimed at improving urban sanitation and expanding access to safe water across Nigeria.

The commitment was made at the launch of the Nigeria Urban Sanitation Sector Diagnostic Report and the Africa Water Investment Programme in Abuja.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, represented by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary and Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations, Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dallah, described the report as a strategic roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s urban sanitation sector.

He said the report comes at a critical time as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to strengthen sector governance, improve sanitation services, and mobilise both public and private investments to bridge the country’s sanitation infrastructure deficit.

The Minister commended the AfDB and the African Water Facility for their continued support to Nigeria’s water and sanitation sector, noting that achieving universal access to safely managed sanitation services would require innovative financing, stronger institutions and greater 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.

He added that sanitation is not merely a social service but a critical driver of national development, with far-reaching benefits for public health, environmental sustainability, economic productivity and job creation.

Also speaking, the Lead Operations Manager of the AfDB Nigeria Country Department, Mr. 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 guide for future investments and policy reforms, stressing that effective implementation of its recommendations would be crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 by 2030.

The AfDB’s Division Manager, AHWS.1, Mrs. Jeanne-Astrid Ngako De Foki, called for increased investment, innovative financing and stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, the private sector and communities to address Nigeria’s urban sanitation challenges.

She urged stakeholders to translate the report’s recommendations into concrete actions that would deliver cleaner cities, healthier communities and improved quality of life for Nigerians.

Presenting an overview of Nigeria’s urban sanitation status, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Mr. Jamilu Dan Habu, identified inadequate financing, weak institutional coordination and poor sanitation infrastructure as major obstacles to progress.

He advocated stronger sector governance, increased private sector participation and sustained collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate universal access to safely managed sanitation services.

The workshop featured technical presentations by leading water and sanitation experts, including Mrs. Hellen Njiwa, Principal Monitoring, Evaluation and Project Portfolio Management Expert, and Mr. Peter Vos, Financial and Institutional Sanitation Specialist at the African Water Facility.

Interactive sessions focused on developing practical strategies to strengthen urban sanitation governance, mobilise investment and promote sustainable sanitation service delivery across Nigeria.

Participants drawn from federal and state ministries, development partners, financial institutions, academia, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and the organised private sector reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the implementation of the report’s recommendations.