The United Nation Children’s Fund has urged the Nigerian government to save the future of every child in the country by providing adequate and hygienic water.
In a release made available to The Point on the occasion of marking the 2017 International Water Day, UNICEF, while acknowledging that Nigeria is blessed with different water resources, said that there was dire need for proper infrastructure to harness the gift of water in the country to save the life of millions of children facing water stress in the country.
In the release, signed by Yemi Lufadeju, UNICEF’s Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Kannan Nadar, said, “Though Nigeria is not faced with problem of lack of water resources, because she is blessed with various water sources, such as rainfall or ground water, the availability of physical infrastructure to harness these water resources effectively is lacking. There are major differences in rainfall between the North and South, making it all the more important to better plan and manage water resources to minimise the impact of flood and drought.
“As we work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of reaching every Nigerian with access to safe, functional, affordable and accessible water, we must manage water resources more efficiently to meet the needs of Nigeria’s growing population and economic development.”
The UN agency also highlighted that Nigeria, alongside other 37 countries, is currently facing extremely high levels of water stress, which occurs when more than 80 per cent of the water available for agriculture, industry and domestic use, is withdrawn annually.
It also said that the problem usually emanated from warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, increased floods, droughts and melting ice, which affect the quality and availability of water, adding that population growth, increased water consumption, and higher demand for water, largely due to industrialisation and urbanisation, are draining water resources worldwide; just as conflicts in many parts of the world also threaten children’s access to safe water.
“All of these factors force children to use unsafe water, which exposes them to potentially deadly diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. Many children in drought-affected areas spend hours every day collecting water, missing out on a chance to go to school,” UNICEF added.
UNICEF also noted that the poorest and most vulnerable children will be most impacted by an increase in water stress, as millions of them already live in areas with low access to safe water and sanitation.
Sharing its data on the havoc that have been wrecked on the children around the world with water stress, UNICEF said 260 million children live in areas where the risk of floods is extremely high and open defecation is widespread, threatening to contaminate water sources with human waste.
It also stated that over 800 children under the age of five die every day from diarrhoea due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene.
UNICEF, however, tasked Nigeria government alongside other government of various countries around the world to prioritise children’s access to safe water, as water is needed to maximise social and health outcomes.
