FG Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Nigeria’s Rivers From Pollution

The Federal Government has urged Nigerians and relevant institutions to protect rivers, forests, wetlands and watersheds from pollution and degradation. It said healthy water bodies are vital for drinking water, farming, fisheries, public health and livelihoods. At the 2026 World Rivers Day commemoration in Abuja, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation listed untreated wastewater, open defecation, plastic dumping, agricultural runoff, erosion and sand mining among the major threats to rivers. It also warned that flooding, drought and changing rainfall patterns are worsening the challenge. The ministry said 179 local government areas have been validated as Open Defecation Free, while more than 5,238 public sanitation facilities have received support. It also said it is improving water-quality data collection, assessing dams for rehabilitation and working with states and private investors on water management projects. Nigerians were urged to stop dumping refuse and effluents into drains and waterways, conserve wetlands and forests, and support responsible sanitation and wastewater disposal.

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