The Federal Government has restated its strong commitment to advancing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in Nigeria, as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation on Tuesday hosted the 2025 Annual Review Meeting of the Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA III–DGIS) Project at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan, Director of Information and Public Relations, the Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, FNSE, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, reaffirmed government’s dedication to strengthening partnerships, scaling interventions, and accelerating WASH progress nationwide.
Prof. Utsev explained that the ASWA project—funded by the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Nigeria—was a direct outcome of the 2012 High-Level Sanitation and Water for All Meeting. Nigeria is among eight participating countries in West and Central Africa benefitting from the initiative.
Highlighting the scope of ASWA III, the Minister stated that the programme aims to provide climate-resilient WASH services to at least 360,000 people across four Local Government Areas in Adamawa and Kaduna States. This new phase, he noted, emphasizes system strengthening, clean energy adoption, and market-based service delivery, while incorporating flexibility to overcome security challenges.
The Minister further disclosed that 151 Local Government Areas across 21 States have so far been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), stressing the importance of sustained awareness on hygiene practices such as handwashing. He urged Adamawa and Kaduna States to leverage ASWA III to surpass results recorded under ASWA II.
“We salute the consistent support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria’s WASH sector and assure you of our cooperation in ensuring productive returns on this vital investment,” Prof. Utsev said.
Also speaking, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, H.E. Bengt van Loosdrecht, emphasized his country’s long-standing expertise in water management, climate resilience, and innovative service delivery, describing sanitation as a matter of dignity that requires continuous advocacy and collaboration.
In her remarks, UNICEF Country Representative for Nigeria, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, noted that Nigeria’s participation in ASWA II since 2019 laid a strong foundation for the current phase, which goes beyond service delivery to focus on resilience, communication, and sustainability.
UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of WASH, Ms. Jane Bevan, explained that the 2025 Annual Review Meeting convened stakeholders from Nigeria, the Netherlands, UNICEF, and all eight ASWA countries—including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Mozambique, and Tanzania—alongside UNICEF’s regional and headquarters teams. The session provided a platform to assess progress, identify gaps, and set priorities for 2026.
The Annual Review Meeting brought together government officials, development partners, and sector stakeholders to share lessons, review achievements, and strengthen collective commitments toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation.
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