The United Arab Emirates and Nigeria are advancing cooperation on water supply, sanitation and irrigated agriculture ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi.
This is according to a report from the Consulate General of the UAE, Lagos.
The conference, scheduled for Dec. 8-10 in Abu Dhabi and co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will bring together governments, investors and civil society to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6, the consulate said.
The 2026 UN Water conference is not a summit about problems. “It is a summit about solutions and Nigeria has a vital role to play.”
Africa’s role in the process reflects a decision by the co-hosts to place Global South priorities at the center of the agenda, with Ghana, Zambia and South Africa co-chairing interactive dialogues, the report said.
The report cited a meeting in June 2026 between Salem Saeed AlShamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria and Joseph Utsev, Nigeria’s minister of Water Resources and Sanitation to advance cooperation.
The two countries are cooperating under the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria initiative, which combines renewable energy and irrigation infrastructure, the report said.
The UAE is Nigeria’s leading Arab trading partner, according to the report.
The consulate also pointed to two youth-focused initiatives ahead of the conference — the Youth4Water UNESCO flagship program hosted by the UAE and the Global Water Youth Envoys Programme.
The UAE launched its Water Security Strategy 2036 to ensure sustainable access to safe water, according to the report.
Nigeria brings scale and demographic strength to anchor water progress across West Africa, with its commitment under the SURWASH program and Clean Nigeria campaign.
The UAE has invited Nigeria’s government, private sector, civil society and youth to participate in the December conference as partners and advocates, according to the report.
Josephine Okojie-Okeiyi is a journalist with over five years’ reporting experience. She writes on industry, agriculture, commodities, climate change, and environmental issues. She is fellow of Thomson Reuters Foundation and Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa.