The Federal Government on Thursday blamed the poor water supply in the country on population explosion and climate change.
The government noted that access to clean water and sanitation facilities had declined because of increased population growth.
Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, who stated these at a symposium to commemorate the 2018 World Water Day in Abuja, noted that it was sad that despite abundant water resources, water supply coverage remained at 57 per cent.
The figures, he noted, showed that the remaining 93 per cent of Nigerians get water from other sources.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, said millions of Nigerians especially those living in the rural areas were still without access to improved drinking water sources.
He said: “The provision of water infrastructures is capital intensive, hence the need for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to overcome the challenges in the water sector.
“Statistics have shown over the years that with the rapid increase in population growth, access to clean drinking water and sanitation steadily declines.
“A lot of factors contribute to the water crises, such as climate change, poor management and a lot more, the most incriminating is the neglect of our ecosystem. This has resulted in environmental damages such as floods, droughts, water pollution among others.
“A worrying challenge is the declining percentage of Nigerians that are getting that water supply through piped networks, from 31 percent in 1990 to less than 7 percent in 2017.
The crisis, he said, had forced many to drilling of boreholes with resultant consequences on the environment in urban areas and fetching of unclean water from streams and river in rural areas.
The minister noted that the federal government was committed towards formulating and implementing policies and programmes that would enable sustainable access to safe and sufficient water for all Nigerians.
Earlier in his remarks, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Representative, Mr. Simone Grego, said question is drinking water resources was one of the major issues of the century globally.
Me. Grego, who quoted a UN World Water Development Report, said globally, 3.6 billion people live in potentially water-scarce areas, saying this figure could rise to 5 billion by 2050, if nothing was done.
He also noted that 80 per cent of waste water returns to the ecosystem without been treated, stressing that these developments were leading to degradation of the ecosystems causing ecological imbalances and water scarcity.
He called for urgent solutions that would protect, manage and restore natural ecosystems that would respond to the human and ecological challenges currently faced.
He said: “Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to flood plains and restoring wetlands are Solutions that will address contemporary water management issues.”
He pledged the commitment of UNESCO to support government’s transition to green economies and in programmes to implement better integrated water policies.
WaterAid Country Director, Dr Chichi Okoye, said the SDG six commits the world to ensure that everyone had safe water by 2030, saying protecting the natural environment and reducing water pollution is imperative.
She urged the Nigerian Government to prioritise water and sanitation by improving budget allocations to the sector.
Okoye said: “The dire situation needs the highest level of government’s attention, especially in delivering water for the poorest and most marginalised people.
“In addition to financing, we need an integrated approach to solving the water crises where water, sanitation and hygiene needs are integrated into health, education, nutrition and gender equality.
“Without water, none of the UN Global Goals can be met.”
