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Vision 20:2020: Nigeria Must Invest In Water Sector — UNICEF
Nigeria must increase its investment in the water and sanitation sector in order to meet its vision 20:2020 document goal, a UNICEF official said.
Dr Suomi Sakai, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, made the observation in Abuja recently at the Presidential Summit on Water.
She said Nigeria also needed to scale up investment in the sector to meet the MDGs by 2015.
“ Unless the country rapidly scales up efforts, Nigeria is not likely to meet the MDGs target seven (7) on water and sanitation.
“A lot more will be required for Nigeria to live up to its full potential,’’ Sakai said, and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sustain the good work he had started in the sector.
“Private sector partnership will help but government’s concerted effort is necessary. UNICEF has been and will continue to partner with government to implement its programmes.
“Domestic water requirement may be small compared to other water use but it is critical,” she said.
Sakai advised that the water programme should not be buried under a “big” water segment, such as agriculture or industry.
In a goodwill message, Ms Ebele Okeke, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Ambassador in Nigeria, urged the president to set up a Presidential Action Committee on Sanitation to move the sector forward.
She said if the committee was established and funded, coupled with robust monitoring, Nigeria would be on its way to winning the war against problems posed by the lack of sanitation.
Okeke decried the low rate of sanitation in institutions of higher learning in the country.
She noted that there was only one toilet for every 500 students and described the situation as 10 times below the standard of one toilet for every 50 students.
“Lack of improved toilets with hand-washing facilities in schools affects educational enrolment, retention and performance and girls are particularly affected.
“Poor sanitation is a contributing factor in Nigeria’s low girl net attendance ratio of 59.1 per cent as compared to 64.9 for boys,’’ the ambassador said.
According to her, the benefit of proper sanitation surpasses the cost, including health care cost, and loss of productivity.
Also speaking, Mr Joe Lambongang, Country Representative, WaterAid in Nigeria, called for actions to address the challenges in the sector.
Represented by Ms Junita During, WaterAid Head of Governance, Lambongang urged the Federal Government to implement plans in the roadmap document.
“I, therefore, urge that the plans being unveiled today reflect this reality not the reality of the privileged and the elite but that of the poorest and most vulnerable.
“In keeping with your promise of transformation, the people of this great country know that they can look to you to promote, provide and protect their rights to safe water and adequate sanitation, ’’he said.
Prof. Anwar Huq from the University of Maryland, U.S., presented a paper on “Water, Climate and Human Health: Cholera an example for other water-borne pathogens”.
The summit will continue on Tuesday with the inauguration of new management teams of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities.
Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.
“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.
“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.
The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.
The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.
According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.
If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.
The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.
“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.
The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.
To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.
The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.
Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.
Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.
The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.