By Babatope Babalobi

Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochepe, have called for ‘strategic partnership’ among all stakeholders for the development of Nigeria’s water sector, even as she restated Governments’ belief that access to safe, drinking water is a right of every Nigerian.

Inadequate access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation is a major challenge in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. The West African country is off track in meeting its Millennium Development Goals of 75% coverage for safe drinking water and 63% coverage for basic sanitation by the year 2015.

Lamenting the failure of past initiatives to deliver the promises of improved access to water supply and sanitation, Mrs. Sarah Ochepe called on all stakeholders in the sector to tackle this challenge by working together. The Minister spoke at the Annual Partners Roundtable (APRT) of the WaterAid in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.

“It is a thing of great regret that we are not doing too well, today only 58% of Nigerians have access to safe and clean water, what that means is that over 50m Nigerians do not have access to clean water to drink. Only 32% have access to proper sanitation, what that means is that about 70m Nigerians do not have access to proper sanitation. This are very disturbing figures”, said Ochepe, represented in the event by Ambassador Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

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