NATIONAL WASH POLICY

A Policy outlines a comprehensive strategy for achieving universal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Nigeria. It targets all households, especially rural and peri-urban communities, schools, healthcare facilities, and vulnerable groups like women and children. This aims to ensure sustainable services for everyone by 2030.

What Is This Policy?

The National WASH Policy (National Action Plan) is Nigeria's 13-year strategy to ensure universal access to sustainable, safely-managed water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services for all Nigerians by 2030 — in alignment with SDG 6. It was launched following the Federal Government's declaration of a State of Emergency in the WASH sector in 2018.

Who Does It Target?

All Nigerian households, with priority on the 60 million+ Nigerians lacking basic drinking water access Rural and peri-urban communities where 39% of households lack basic water supply Schools and healthcare facilities across all 36 states and FCT Internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, girls, children, and persons with disabilities Open-defecation-practising communities (23% of the population as of 2021)

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Achieve universal access to safe, sustainably-managed WASH services by 2030 (SDG 6.1 and 6.2) End open defecation in Nigeria by 2025 through the 'Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet' Campaign Increase basic water supply access (currently 67%) and safely-managed water (13%) to universal coverage Reduce WASH-related diarrheal and enteric diseases, which account for 73% of Nigeria's disease burden among children

Key Features

Three-Phase Plan: Emergency Plan → Recovery Plan → Revitalization Strategy (2023–2030) with increasing scope and investment Five Components: Governance, Sustainability, Sanitation, Funding & Financing, and Monitoring & Evaluation Clean Nigeria Campaign: National sanitation drive to achieve open defecation-free (ODF) status; community-led and state government-driven Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS): Grassroots behaviour-change approach triggering communities to eliminate open defecation SURWASH Programme: $700 million World Bank-funded programme to expand WASH to 6 million people with basic drinking water services WASHNORM Monitoring: National Outcome Routine Mapping surveys track SDG 6 indicators at national and sub-national levels

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Phase 3 (Revitalization Strategy) active from 2023 through 2030 Implementing Body: Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) with State Water Agencies and LGAs Coverage: All 36 states and FCT; priority to rural areas and the conflict-affected North-East (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe) Funding: Federal budget allocation + World Bank SURWASH ($700M IDA credit) + UNICEF, EU, DFID development partners Investment Gap: Estimated ₦1.9 trillion ($5.3 billion) annual gap; World Bank recommends tripling WASH budget to 1.7% of GDP

How to Access

WASH services are delivered by State Water Agencies and LGAs. Communities and institutions can engage as follows: Communities: Contact State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STWSSA) or LGA WASH Department for infrastructure requests State Governments: Access the National WASH Fund through NAP Secretariat upon submission of a State Action Plan and ODF roadmap NGOs & CSOs: Partner with FMWR's National Coordinating Office (NCO) to implement sanitation and behaviour-change programmes Portal / Resources: cleannigeria25.gov.ng | fmwr.gov.ng

Impact & Metrics

18,622 water points constructed or rehabilitated; 94,404 sanitation facilities built through UNICEF WASH Programme 12 million additional people in rural areas gained access to improved water sources (over 100% of initial targets) Financial inclusion for WASH: 46% basic sanitation access, up from lower baselines; basic hygiene still low at 17% (WASHNORM 2021)

Official Resources

Website: fmwr.gov.ng | cleannigeria25.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mabushi, Abuja | National Coordinating Office (NAP Secretariat): +234 (0)9 461 6300 Summary prepared using the Policy Summary Template | Source: FMWR, UNICEF, WaterAid, World Bank, Clean Nigeria Campaign | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National WASH Policy operates under the National Water Resources Policy 2016, the Water Resources Act, and the National Action Plan for WASH (2021–2030). It aligns with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act 1992, the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 (WASH in schools component), and Nigeria's obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation) and the N'Gor Declaration on Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa.