By Merit Ibe
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark the World Water Day (WWD) with the theme “Accelerate Change”, the world has again come to agreement that one of the essential elements of earth, water, is the prime necessity of life.
The occasion necessitated the call by the Organised Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH), a global United Nations-hosted organisation, to government at all levels in Nigeria to adopt a multi-stakeholder collaboration in addressing the challenges of water.
World Water Day raises the consciousness of the 2.2 billion people who do not have access to safe drinking water, of which 1.2 billion people lack essential water sources within a round trip of 30 minutes; 282 million people have limited water sources; 368 million people take unprotected water from wells and springs; and 122 million people use untreated surface water from lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Also, more than 884 million people do not have safe water to drink.
The WWD is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. To support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030.
Thus, WWD is observed worldwide to raise public awareness of the importance of water in all aspects of life, such as the environment, health, agriculture and trade and to take steps to address the world’s water crisis.
It’s also celebrated to bring attention to one of the leading environmental issues, “Scarcity of water.” Water is life, and we cannot even imagine our life without water.
This year’s WWD, which focuses on accelerating change, aims to encourage people to make a difference by changing the way they use, consume and manage water, thus contributing to dealing with water and sanitation crisis in the world.
The current water and sanitation crisis is a huge threat and risk to human life, meanwhile, the population is growing, agriculture and industry are using more and more water and climate change is getting worse.
Economically-used and well-managed water resources will become a lever for a green economy, helping restore the climate and contributing to an inclusive sustainable world. Bear in mind that there can’t be a green economy without water.
Spreading the message of the World Water Day 2023 on Twitter, UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote that the world is woefully off-course to achieve the goal of water and sanitation for all by 2030. Billions of people still don’t have safe water and toilets, he noted, calling on all people to do something to accelerate change.
The United Nations(UN) 2023 Water Conference, which is ongoing in New York, is focusing on encouraging and supporting countries to achieve water-related goals and targets approved internationally for the 2018-2028 period.
According to the UN, its main target is to direct people around the world to save and protect water sources, raising people’s awareness of the value of water in people’s daily lives as well as protect water resources and the precious habitat of many species of living things living together on the Earth.
In Nigeria, as at last year, data on access to drinking water says that over 60 million Nigerians do not have access to drinking water. In 5 states, access to drinking water is less than 50% and no state in the country has 100% access to drinking water.
Therefore, the occasion of this year’s WWD has again underscored the seeming helplessness of governments to provide potable water nationwide. Yet water remains a major accessory to the positive development of the people. Its non-availability is a major indictment of government’s failure.
It is sad that sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water remains a challenge in Nigeria, with over 86 per cent of Nigerians lacking access to a safely managed drinking water source. The problem is compounded by poor drinking water quality and lack of equity in access.
Across the country, acute water scarcity pervades in the communities, causing untold hardship to citizens.
Actually, the issue of potable water supply has been relegated to the background by many states with dire consequences on the citizenry.
In Lagos, with over 20 million inhabitants, access to potable water is a luxury. Public water supply has practically faded due to a myriad of issues including ruptured pipes, drying water source and epileptic power supply.
In the country, there is suffering and pain as a result of endemic water scarcity.
Public water supply has failed to the extent that almost every residential or corporate building in the state has either a borehole or well while some depend on water vendors to source the water they use daily.
Instructively, epileptic power supply in the country is a major contributor to the water scarcity. Most water schemes need uninterrupted power supply to function. It may take a while to solve the problem of water scarcity so long as power supply remains unreliable. There should be a clear-cut policy framework to guide action and funding. The states and local governments should be proactive in this regard. They should rise to their responsibility of making water available to the people.
In response to the WWD, the National Coordinator, OPS-WASH, Dr Nicholas Igwe, noted that the role of the Private sector in WASH cannot be over emphasised.
Igwe, who represents the global Private Sector in WASH under the Sanitation and Water for all – SWA platform, the global UN hosted organization, driving the OPSWASH in Nigeria, is of the view that the Private sector remains the engine of the economy and can play critical roles in job creation, resource mobilization, increasing the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of WASH as well as strengthening the entrepreneurial capacity within the WASH value chains.
He said to achieve this, there should be a sustainable political will from the government of Lagos State.
According to him, there was need for the government to adopt a multi stakeholders collaboration approach in addressing the challenges of water.
“Water should be recognized as a commercial commodity and inventors are willing to support the state but we need good policies and legal framework.”
Igwe emphasised the commitment of the OPSWASH to drive private sector movement to accelerate progress to scale up water and sanitation facilities in the country.
“The constituency has the means to effectively coordinate relevant stakeholders in Nigeria and globally toward creating innovative strategies for the sector.
Citing activities in Nigeria, Igwe said using the pillars of financial institutions, technology and innovations, philanthropy and others, the OPS-WASH had brought together key organisations such as Coca-Cola, Lixil and FMDQ Group to the sector.
He said OPS-WASH, which was borne out of Zenith Water Projects, was already making significant contributions to the WASH sector in Nigeria.
He stressed that private sector investment would help achieve SDG Six, through efficiency and sustainability, adding that they had the capacity to boost innovation in the sector.
Igwe also pointed out the need for political leadership at the highest level to galvanise the commitment required at all levels.