IWD 2026: Water crisis denies millions of Nigerian women basic rights – WaterAid

2026-03-20 - 00:43

By Chioma Obinna On this year’s International Women’s Day, WaterAid Nigeria has warned that Nigeria’s persistent water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) crisis is stripping millions of women and girls of their rights, dignity, and opportunities. The organisation called on government, development partners, and the private sector to take urgent and coordinated action to address what it described as one of the most critical barriers to gender equality. This year’s theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,” underscores the need to dismantle systemic inequalities, but WaterAid Nigeria insists that without access to safe water and sanitation, those goals will remain out of reach. According to WaterAid, across Nigeria, women and girls continue to shoulder the burden of sourcing water, often trekking long distances daily, a reality that limits their ability to pursue education, earn income, and participate in leadership. The Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere, said the crisis goes beyond infrastructure and strikes at the heart of human rights and equality. “Safe water and sanitation are not only basic services, but they are also fundamental human rights and essential foundations for gender equality. “When women and girls spend hours daily searching for water or lack safe sanitation, their ability to learn, work, and take their place in society is severely limited.” She warned that poor sanitation conditions also expose women and girls to risks to their safety, privacy, and health, while undermining school attendance and participation in public life. WaterAid further highlighted the dire state of WASH services in critical institutions, noting that inadequate facilities in healthcare centres worsen maternal and child health outcomes and increase the burden of care on women. The organisation backed its call with troubling statistics: 44.5 million Nigerians lack access to clean water close to home, while 116.8 million do not have decent toilets. An estimated 150.6 million people lack basic handwashing facilities, contributing to preventable diseases, including diarrhoea, which claims over 65,000 children under five annually. In schools and healthcare facilities, the situation is equally alarming, with only 11 per cent of schools and 6 per cent of health facilities having basic WASH services. To address the crisis, WaterAid Nigeria is urging governments at all levels to adopt gender-responsive policies and increase investments in the sector. Among its key demands are the integration of gender considerations into WASH planning and budgeting, increased funding for water and sanitation services in schools, health facilities, and markets, and stronger institutional coordination across sectors. The organisation also stressed the need for greater representation of women in water governance and decision-making processes. “Women must have meaningful representation in water governance structures and leadership positions to ensure their voices shape policies and investments,” Mere said. WaterAid Nigeria emphasised that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030 — will be impossible without prioritising the needs and rights of women and girls. On this year’s International Women’s Day, the organisation called for bold policy decisions and sustained domestic financing to transform the sector.