The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to see themselves as guardians of rivers, saying protecting the nation’s waterways is safeguarding public health, food security and the economy.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2025 World Rivers Day with the theme: “Clean Rivers, Healthy Communities.”
Utsev was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Richard Pheelangwah.
“I call on all stakeholders, including government, civil society, private sector, media, and indeed every Nigerian, to see ourselves as guardians of our rivers.
“Our rivers are not refuse dumps. Our rivers must not be polluted with sewage, effluents or open defecation.
“Protecting our rivers is safeguarding ourselves, our health and our economy”.
He said clean and healthy rivers were vital to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in food security, job creation and socio-economic wellbeing.
Utsev said the Federal Government had advanced key interventions to protect rivers and improve sanitation.
These include the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, and the Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet Campaign.
“So far, 21 states and 151 Local Government Areas have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), with Jigawa State sustaining its record as the first ODF state in Nigeria,” he added.
He said the River Basin Development Authorities had intensified community-inclusive initiatives such as tree planting, catchment protection and small-scale irrigation schemes to safeguard riverbanks and boost food production.
The minister also stressed the need for collaboration with states, local councils, civil society and the private sector to promote eco-friendly practices such as river clean-ups, pollution control and climate-smart sanitation.
In his welcome remarks, Pheelangwah, represented by the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mr Moses Jo-Madugu, said rivers must be treated with respect and managed with care.
“Rivers nurture ecosystems, sustain livelihoods and hold cultural values. Safeguarding them means securing human dignity, social wellbeing and ecological balance,” Pheelangwah said.
He added that activities such as road showed, tree planting and riverbank clean-ups were being carried out nationwide to promote community ownership and collective responsibility.
He commended the minister for his commitment to repositioning the water and sanitation sector, while appreciating the RBDAs, civil society, development partners and the media for their continued support.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event also featured symbolic tree planting and river cleaning at Wupa river along Airport Road, Abuja.
