Women Key To Driving Sustainable Water, Sanitation Development– Coalition

By Olasunkanmi Onifade

A coalition, Dedicated Women Action and Advocacy for Rural and Urban Water Hygiene and Sanitation Support in Nigeria, has stressed the vital role of women in achieving sustainable development in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.

The President of the group, Mrs Cordelia Agbo, stated this at a two-day training with the theme “Empowering Women Executives in the WASH Sector” on Monday in Abuja.

Agbo said the growing threat of water scarcity was putting pressure on states to ensure water security for human and economic development.

“Water is the source of life and an indispensable resource for national economic growth. It drives health, hygiene, agriculture, energy and transport.

“In contrast, scarcity frustrates development potential and undermines the well-being of communities,” she said.

She explained that women and children often bear the burden of fetching water in households, a responsibility that denies many, especially the girl child, opportunities for education and productive activities.

According to her, giving women a stronger voice in decision-making and organisational leadership on water management would enhance sustainability in the sector.

Agbo urged participants to return to their various utilities to work towards establishing state chapters of the coalition, noting that chapters had so far been inaugurated in the FCT, Enugu, Ogun, Imo, Niger, Taraba, Kaduna and Delta states.

The Focal Person of the Africa Water Supply and Sanitation Association, Mr Francis Umemezie, said equipping women with leadership tools was key to stronger governance and improved service delivery.

He added that the World Bank was committed to supporting inclusive transformation in the sector, stressing that diversity in leadership promotes innovation and more balanced decision-making.

Also speaking, the Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation at the Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, said women remain central to water management, hygiene practices and community health.

Ugoh was represented by the Deputy Director of Hygiene Promotion, Mrs Ayaba Kogbara.

“Across Nigeria, 69 per cent of households depend on women and girls to fetch water, often from long distances and under difficult conditions.

“Yet despite this heavy responsibility, women remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces where policies and investments are shaped,” she said.

Similarly, the President of the Nigeria Water Supply Association, Mr Dubagari Abisabo, said the training was a welcome step toward empowering women leaders to drive sustainable change in their communities.

A gender specialist, Mrs Mary Mbakpa, stressed that addressing Nigeria’s water crisis without women’s voices was impossible.

The National Secretary of the coalition, Ms Felicia Ngaji-Usibe, explained that the training was designed to strengthen the leadership confidence and decision-making skills of women executives in the WASH sector. (NAN)

Edited by Tosin Kolade