Folalumi Alaran
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called for the integration of water security into Nigeria’s national security architecture, saying that access to safe water and sanitation were fundamental to public health, food security, economic stability and national resilience.
Utsev made the call yesterday while delivering a lecture titled, “Water Resources Management and Sanitation as Catalysts for Sustainable National Development and Security in Nigeria,” at the National Defence College, Abuja.
The Minister said Nigeria must move beyond viewing water as merely a development issue and recognise it as a strategic national security priority.
He warned that water insecurity, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, flooding, drought and climate variability could trigger public health emergencies, displacement and resource-based crises, intensify competition among water users, undermine livelihoods and increase vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
Utsev also highlighted the roles of the River Basin Development Authorities in irrigation, agriculture, fisheries, rural water supply, flood control, job creation, agro-processing and rural economic development.
On food security, the Minister said irrigation development was critical to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns.
He disclosed that approximately 154,000 hectares of irrigable land are currently benefiting more than 1.6 million farmers, noting that efforts are ongoing to expand irrigation coverage.
He also raised concerns over the security implications of climate-induced flooding and drought, noting that the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook identified 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas across 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory as high flood-risk areas.
Utsev advocated stronger coordination among government institutions, particularly in the water, agriculture, health, environment and security sectors, alongside increased investment, effective regulation, reliable water intelligence, climate-resilient infrastructure and stronger community participation.
On policy coordination, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry was developing a National Water Compact for 2026–2030 as a roadmap to harmonise Nigeria’s water and sanitation policies and interventions.
He said the Compact was built around three strategic pillars: Water for People, Water for Food and Water for the Planet, focusing respectively on safe water and sanitation, irrigation and food security, and climate resilience and sustainable water resources management.
The Minister said the Compact was being developed through a whole-of-government and multi-stakeholder approach involving the federal and sub-national governments, security agencies, River Basin Development Authorities, traditional and religious institutions, the private sector, development partners, civil society organisations and communities.
Utsev further stressed the importance of water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation, noting that Nigeria shares major water resources with neighbouring countries and must strengthen regional collaboration to promote stability, economic growth and sustainable development.
To strengthen Nigeria’s water security, the Minister identified five strategic priorities: integrating water security into national security planning; strengthening whole-of-government coordination; increasing strategic investment and sustainable financing; building climate resilience and national water intelligence; and developing the capacity of women and youths.
He stressed that the resilience of the systems that sustain the people was fundamental to national security, adding that protecting water resources, expanding access to safe water and sanitation, strengthening irrigation, and improving preparedness for floods and droughts were essential to securing Nigeria’s future.
In his response, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Abuja, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, commended the Minister for the presentation, noting that it clearly demonstrated that water security remains key to national security.
The Commandant identified flooding, drought and resource-based conflicts as major security concerns and called for greater utilisation of Nigeria’s abundant freshwater resources, as well as stronger international cooperation in managing shared water systems.