The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called for water security to be accorded national security status, warning that flooding, drought, water insecurity and poor sanitation could trigger conflicts, displacement, public health emergencies and economic instability.
Utsev made the call on Monday 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 could no longer afford to treat water merely as a development issue, stressing that the availability and sustainable management of water resources had direct implications for national security, food production, public health, livelihoods and economic stability.
“Water security is national security,” Utsev said, calling for its integration into Nigeria’s national security architecture.
He warned that water insecurity, unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, flooding, drought and climate variability could trigger public health emergencies and displacement, intensify competition among water users, undermine livelihoods and increase communities’ vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
