Stakeholders in the health and development sector have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other African leaders to make water quality a top priority, warning that millions of lives are at risk from unsafe water every year.

The call was made at the 2nd International Water Quality Conference held in Abuja, with experts stressing that while access to water is important, quality matters even more.

According to UNICEF and the World Bank, Nigeria alone records over 117,000 deaths annually from waterborne diseases, while more than 500,000 people die globally from illnesses linked to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Former Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone, explained that the crisis is worsened by contamination, ageing infrastructure, and weak regulation, leaving over 60 million Nigerians without clean water.

“Access without quality is an illusion. If we fail to act, the water crisis will deepen, and our children will pay the price,” he warned.

Dr. Chukwumezie Okolo, President of Rite Place Health and convener of the conference, urged the federal government to take greater control of water management across states and local governments to ensure uniform standards.

He stressed that water-related diseases account for up to 80% of illnesses in Nigeria, describing access to safe water as a basic right that must no longer be denied.

Ugandan lawmaker, Dr. Agnes Atim, also called for stronger community engagement in rural Africa, noting that empowering citizens with knowledge and tools to monitor water quality could save huge healthcare costs.

The conference, themed “Beyond Access, Quality Matters: Innovative Community-Based Approaches to Waterborne Disease Eradication,” ended with a united appeal: Africa must shift focus from simply providing water to guaranteeing safe and quality water for every community.