The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has called for water security to be formally integrated into Nigeria’s national security framework, warning that extreme weather events, water scarcity, and unsafe sanitation pose direct threats to national stability.
Prof. Utsev made the call on Monday, September 7, 2026, while delivering a lecture titled “Water Resources Management and Sanitation as Catalysts for Sustainable National Development and Security in Nigeria” at the National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja.
Addressing senior military officers, security strategists, and faculty members, the minister argued that access to safe water and sanitation must shift from being viewed merely as a socio-economic development issue to a strategic national security priority.
He cautioned that climate variability, water insecurity, flooding, and drought could trigger severe public health emergencies, mass displacement, and violent, resource-based conflicts.
”Water security is national security,” Utsev declared. “The resilience of the systems that sustain our people is fundamental to national stability. Inadequate access to safe water, climate-induced flooding, and drought undermine livelihoods, escalate health risks, and intensify competition among communities.”
Citing the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook, Utsev revealed that 1,249 communities across 176 Local Government Areas in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been designated as high flood-risk areas, underscoring the urgent need for early-warning systems and resilient infrastructure.
To bolster food security against unpredictable rainfall, the federal government is supporting over 1.6 million farmers across 154,000 hectares of irrigable land through the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs), with plans underway to expand coverage.
The Ministry is developing a five-year (2026 – 2030; National Water Compact) roadmap built on three strategic pillars: Water for People (safe access & sanitation), Water for Food (irrigation & agriculture), and Water for the Planet (climate resilience).
Utsev outlined five actionable pillars for policy planners: embedding water security into national defense frameworks, enhancing inter-agency coordination, scaling up strategic investments, strengthening water intelligence, and building capacity for women and youth.
In his response, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, commended the minister for highlighting the direct links between environmental resources and national stability.
Rear Admiral Ahmed affirmed that flooding, drought, and resource competition represent critical, emerging non-traditional security threats, urging greater domestic utilization of Nigeria’s freshwater resources alongside strengthened transboundary water diplomacy with neighboring nations.
