By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has called for collective action to protect Nigeria’s rivers and ecosystems, stressing their importance to agriculture, public health, livelihoods, biodiversity and economic development.
Utsev made the call on Wednesday, 30 September, 2026, in a statement published by the Presidency of Nigeria on its official X handle, @NGRPresident, as the country marked the 2026 World Rivers Day.
The minister said the Federal Government was strengthening water resources management and supporting the protection of watersheds and river catchments to safeguard Nigeria’s water resources and promote healthier river ecosystems.
He also linked the protection of rivers to improved sanitation, noting that efforts to eliminate open defecation remained critical to protecting water sources and public health.
According to the minister, 179 local government areas have been certified open-defecation-free under the Clean Nigeria Campaign, while more than 5,238 public sanitation facilities have been supported nationwide.
Utsev stressed that healthy rivers and ecosystems were essential not only to environmental sustainability but also to the livelihoods of communities and the country’s broader economic development.
He therefore urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to support efforts to protect rivers, watersheds and catchments, maintaining that collective action was necessary to preserve the country’s water resources for present and future generations.
The Federal Government’s appeal formed part of activities marking World Rivers Day, with renewed emphasis on sustainable water resources management, environmental protection and improved sanitation across the country.
