LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Save the Children International (SCI) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening water and sanitation crisis, warning that more than 161 million people lack access to safe water, leaving millions of children exposed to preventable diseases and poor living conditions.
The humanitarian organization made this known in a statement issued in Katsina on Wednesday to commemorate the 2026 Day of the African Child, which is themed, “Ensuring Universal Access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Every Child in Africa.”
Notably, nearly 70 percent of Nigerian children lack access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, creating significant challenges for their growth and development.
The organization also noted that access to essential WASH facilities remains alarmingly low across critical sectors.
Their findings revealed that only six percent of healthcare facilities in Nigeria have basic WASH services, while just 26.5 percent of the population can access improved drinking water and sanitation facilities.
Furthermore, SCI said more than 10 million schoolchildren still attend schools without basic sanitation facilities, a problem that continues to affect learning outcomes, especially among girls.
“Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation has left children vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid, with diarrhoeal diseases alone killing more than 70,000 children under the age of five annually,” the organization stated.
The group added that the situation is particularly severe in rural and underserved communities where families often depend on unsafe water sources and lack proper sanitation infrastructure.
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Another concern highlighted in the report is the continued practice of open defecation.
According to SCI, about 22 percent of Nigerians still engage in open defecation, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and environmental pollution.
Speaking on the issue, SCI Deputy Country Director, Jane Mbagi, said the 2026 Day of the African Child should serve as a wake-up call for governments, development partners, communities, and the private sector.
“As Nigeria joins the rest of the continent to mark the Day of the African Child, the urgency of action has never been clearer. The theme calls for renewed commitment from governments, development partners and communities to ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, has access to safe, reliable and sustainable WASH services,” she said.
Mbagi urged governments to increase funding for water and sanitation programmes while encouraging development partners to invest in long-term solutions.
She also called on communities to adopt better hygiene practices and support efforts to eliminate open defecation.
Meanwhile, House Leader of the Katsina State Children’s Parliament, Muhammad Aminu, stressed that access to clean water and sanitation should be treated as a basic right rather than a privilege.
“This is not charity. It is an investment in health, dignity, education and the future of Africa,” he said.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the impact of poor water and sanitation services on child health, with stakeholders calling for urgent action to ensure every Nigerian child has access to safe and sustainable WASH facilities.
(NAN)
