Nigeria loses N455bn annually to poor sanitation — Report

Nigeria’s economy suffers an estimated ₦455 billion loss every year due to poor sanitation, with devastating consequences for households, businesses, and national productivity.

The losses are largely driven by waterborne diseases, which claim more than 70,000 lives annually, according to the World Bank and local research data.

The impact is particularly severe on children, with over 87,000 under the age of five dying each year from diarrhea linked to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene practices.

Research by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in 2024 further revealed that more than 113 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water.

In response to this crisis, Nestlé Nigeria, in partnership with the Organised Private Sector in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (OPS-WASH), has launched the Nestlé Quality Water Advocacy Campaign to raise awareness and drive action on water quality and safety across the country.

Speaking at the unveiling in Abuja on Wednesday, Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead at Nestlé Nigeria, said the initiative seeks to bridge the knowledge gap on water safety, which is often overlooked despite its central role in health and economic development.

“Poor sanitation costs the Nigerian economy about N455 billion every year, straining families and institutions alike,” Uwadoka said. “Water quality is not just a technical or policy issue, but a question of human dignity, survival, and socio-economic sustainability. Unsafe water is an enemy to health and well-being.”

She explained that the campaign will roll out in three phases: engagement with critical stakeholders, national awareness launch, and wide-scale deployment through media channels, grassroots mobilisation, and community events.

The programme will also leverage partnerships with OPS-WASH, government ministries, academia, civil society, and the media.

Commending the initiative, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev (represented at the event), said the campaign aligns with the government’s broader objective of ensuring universal access to safe water.

“Contaminated water remains a leading cause of preventable diseases, undermining public health, productivity, education, and national development,” the Minister said. “Without access to safe water, Nigeria’s sustainable development goals remain incomplete. This advocacy is therefore both timely and transformative.”

Nestlé emphasised that improving water quality requires collective, multi-sectoral action, stressing that individuals, government, private sector, and communities all have a role to play in building a safer and healthier water system for Nigeria’s future.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE