From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
According to a recent report from the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), over 78 million children in Nigeria are at the highest risk of diseases caused by inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene-related ailments.
The report indicates that one-third of Nigerian children lack access to basic water at home, while two-thirds do not have basic sanitation services. Moreover, three-quarters of Nigerian children are unable to wash their hands due to a lack of water and soap at home. This situation places Nigeria as one of the ten countries with the heaviest burden of child deaths from diseases caused by inadequate sanitation, such as diarrhoeal diseases.
In addition, UNICEF notes that Nigeria ranks second globally out of 163 countries with the highest risk of exposure to climate and environmental threats. Groundwater levels in Nigeria are also dropping, with some communities needing to dig wells twice as deep as just a decade ago. At the same time, rainfall has become more erratic and intense, leading to floods that contaminate scarce water supplies.
Speaking about the issue, the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, highlighted the urgent need for increased investment in the sector, including from global climate financing, to strengthen climate resilience in the sector and communities.
Hawkins also called for an increase in effective and accountable systems, coordination, and capacities to provide water and sanitation services and implement the UN-Water Sustainable Development Goals Six (SDG6) Global Acceleration Framework.
“If we continue at the current pace, it will take 16 years to achieve access to safe water for all in Nigeria. We cannot wait that long, and the time to move quickly is now. Investing in climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene services is not only a matter of protecting children’s health today but also ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come,” Hawkins said.
In conclusion, UNICEF has called on the Nigerian government to urgently address the issue to prevent millions of children from the risk of diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation.