Minister: Access to Safe Water Crucial for Sustainable Development, Remains National Challenge

•Hails Nestle for transformative advocacy for quality
•Report: Poor sanitation costs economy N455bn annually, 113m Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water

James Emejo in Abuja

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, yesterday declared that the country’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development remained incomplete without access to safe water.
Speaking at the Nestle Water Quality Advocacy Campaign Launch in Abuja, Utsev said though “water is life”, the safety of this life-sustaining resource remained a critical challenge in the country and across the globe.
The minister stated that contaminated water continued to be a leading cause of preventable diseases, such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, threatening not only public health but also productivity, education, and overall development.
He commended Nestlé for the forward-looking initiative, which complemented the national drive to ensure that every Nigerian had access to safe, clean and sustainable water.
Represented by Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh, Utsev said underscored the need to prioritise safe water quality as cornerstone of public health, environmental sustainability, all impacting on national development.
The minister said, “Although the journey to achieving universal access to safe water for sustainable public health is long and challenging, it is also filled with opportunities.
“To overcome the obstacles that stand in our way and create lasting change, this advocacy by Nestlé highlights a shared responsibility.
“It challenges us, the government, private sector, academia, civil society, and development partners to take decisive steps. We must invest more in water quality monitoring, enforce standards, raise public awareness, and most importantly, empower communities to be custodians of the very water they drink.”
Utsev added, “I urge all stakeholders here today not to let this advocacy end with speeches and statements, but rather, let us turn it into a movement of action, a call to invest, collaborate, and hold ourselves accountable for results.
“Every borehole tested, every river monitored, and every child protected from waterborne diseases is a victory we cannot afford to delay.”
He said Nestlé had set the tone, stating that Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation stands ready to work hand-in-hand with the company and all partners to translate the advocacy into measurable progress.
“Together, let us ensure that water in Nigeria is not just available, but safe, reliable, and sustainable for this generation and the next,” he said.
In her remarks, Corporate Communications, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Nestlé Nigeria, Victoria Uwadoka, said the company’s water quality advocacy campaign was an initiative aimed at raising awareness about the importance of water quality for overall health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.
Citing data from Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) research in 2024, Uwadoka said over 113 million Nigerians lacked access to safe drinking water.
She said about 87,000 children under five died annually from diarrhoea linked directly to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Uwadoka also stated that broader studies suggested that over 70,000 lives were lost each year to waterborne diseases while poor sanitation cost the economy an estimated N455 billion every year, straining families and institutions alike.
She said, “This is why Nestlé and the OPS-WASH conceived the Quality Water Advocacy Campaign create awareness and to catalyse action to address the water quality challenges.
“Our objective is clear: to close the knowledge gap on water quality and safety, a topic that is not discussed often enough despite its supreme importance.
“The advocacy campaign is not just about Nestle Nigeria; it is about all the stakeholders gathered in this room today. The change we need requires multi-sectoral action. Each of us, government, industry, media, academia, civil society and, indeed, every individual has a role to play.”
She said the Nestlé Quality Water Advocacy Campaign will leverage various channels to equip people with the information they needed to improve the quality of the water they used within their homes and their communities.
Business Executive Officer, Nestle Waters and Premium Beverages, Mr. Olutayo Olatunji, said, “The realities of Nigeria’s water challenge are well known. For Nestlé Nigeria, the question is not whether the challenge exists, but how we can be part of the solution.
“Through decades of experience in ensuring the highest standards for Nestlé Pure Life, we know that quality water is achievable, sustainable, and transformative.
“This campaign reflects our commitment to share that knowledge more broadly, helping families and communities make safe water a daily reality.
“At Nestlé, we believe that advocacy for quality water must go beyond access to volume, it must ensure safety, reliability, and trust.”