The headline of this article which shows lack of access to uninterrupted water supply was not
arrived at by speculations or oracular deductions. The headline was taken from the quotation of
the Honourable Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu: “There is no single city in
this country that enjoys pipe-borne water 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
This is coming at a time when UNICEF, in one of its recent statistics, showed that about 70
percent of Nigerians have access to basic water services even though more than half of these
water sources are polluted. “Despite some progress by Nigeria, there is still much more work to
be done to ensure that all Nigerians have access to adequate, quality water and hygiene services.”
Nigeria is a party to the United Nation’s declaration of the right to water which entitles everyone
living in Nigeria to sufficient, affordable, safe and acceptable water for personal and domestic
uses.
But from all indications, the Honourable Minister’s description of the water situation in Nigeria
runs contrary to UN’s position as evidenced in the appalling figures emanating from the Federal
Ministry of Water Resources whose statistical database shows the following: in 1992, 30 per cent
of the Nigerian population enjoyed pipe-borne water which dropped to about 7 per cent in 2015;
50 per cent of the rural population did not have adequate access, if any access at all, to potable
water in 2015; currently, the percentage of the population nationwide with access to public water
supply is about 7 per cent.
The existing water schemes in the country based on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
study that the Ministry validated, are operating at a disappointing installed capacity. That study
shows that most of the water schemes today are about 30 years old and outdated. Because of
population growth, more people are struggling with 30-year-old schemes which are operating at
about only 45 per cent capacity. There has been abuse of the use of water, and very little effort is
being made over the years to revitalise water facilities to keep the systems running.
Records show that the Ministry inherited about 116 projects; 43 of them are water supply
schemes many of which have been completed, due partly to the existing partnerships between the
federal government and some states including Kaduna, Niger, Ogun, Katsina and Nasarawa. This
has led to the completion of the project that supplies water to Katsina metropolis which started in
1992.
The total number of completed projects seems to suggest that the investments in the water sector
have not been commensurate with the trend in population growth. Potable water is still a mirage
to majority of Nigerians especially those in the rural areas, some of who drink from the streams
and rivers which are polluted and that’s the reason why water-borne diseases are common in
those areas.
The urban areas depend largely on boreholes, wells and pomp machines, carried out by
individuals without government support or supervision. This calls to question the relevance of
the water resources department which many people see as nearly non-existent.
Worse still, obstruction of inflow of water into the reservoirs built in the 70s to conserve water,
climate change and environmental degradation have led to pollution and shrinking of rivers even
though the Ministry has indicated plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Environment to
commence tree planting to salvage water shed.
Beyond tree planting investment, is the defacing of roads. Water delivery is not prioritised, and
there seems not to be political value reorientation with emphasis on road infrastructure. What
happens is that good roads are broken and opened up each time water pipes are laid to achieve
reticulation. This can only happen because relevant stakeholders are not engaged at the inception
to carry out the necessary impact analysis that will ensure efficient delivery of water to
communities.
Water is life and it has a knock-on effect more especially on health. Sadly, water coverage in the
country has been stagnant which raises concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic that is hitting the
country with numbers of infected persons going up every day. Water as a sector, is an important
component of risk mitigation. People are advised to wash their hands with soap under running
water for a minimum of 20 seconds. If people don’t have access to water, such message will
hardly sink.
The potential of dams and water resources has been well documented in the country yet we are
still poor in the optimum management and utilisation of water resources due partly to lack of
capacity and governance structure. This is in spite of the fact the National Council of Water
Resources, which is the highest water policy body in the country, meets every year with state
commissioners of water resources; views are exchanged, and agendas declared in the Council but
the problem remains lack of political will to carry out policy implementation. Systems are not
functional. Water facilities are dilapidated owing to lack or mismanagement of funds even
though stakeholders claim that budgetary allocation in the water sector ranks below average in
Africa.
We need to realize that sustainability is an integral component of water systems. That way, we
protect and perpetuate investments in the water sector. Effort of the Plateau state government in
addressing the funding needs of the State Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, is
commendable. In its 2020 budget, the State Ministry of Water Resources and Energy got the
highest budget. About 21.6 per cent of the budget was allocated to the ministry, out of which
18.2 per cent was apportioned to the water sector alone.
The bulk of the contribution to available water is rainfall in Nigeria as well as in some other
countries. Statistics show that water is 1,800 cubic meters per person in Nigeria. This shows the
volume of water each person will get if the entire water resources are divided by the population
nationwide. This is a big figure compared to the 4 per cent of water that is suitable for drinking
globally. But in Nigeria, the problem is lack of political will to harness and manage water.
Nigeria operates a federal structure system where some states are governed by the ruling party,
and others by the opposition. There are governors who are seen as emperors at the state level,
and whose actions emasculate the powers of local government authorities. If a state government
does not see water and sanitation as a priority, little or nothing can be done to make adequate
provision for funds for water which is a basic commodity.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources takes care of the upstream or bulk water supply and
management while the sub-national entities (states and local governments) are responsible for
treating and distribution of water. But the activities of the sub-national governments in the
provision of water have been described as lethargic responses by the federal government. In
other words, states and local governments seem not to guarantee end-user satisfaction. This has
resulted in the failure of the downstream sector of the water supply agenda in exploiting bulk
water supplied by the federal government and channelling it for domestic and industrial
purposes.
As part of the policy framework or new agenda of managing the water sector, authorities in the
water sector are making a case for the economics of water; they see water as an economic
commodity that must be paid for. The authorities claim that in the water policy document, states
are supposed to be paying for the bulk water that they tap, and recover their cost, which has not
been happening.
Such remittance by the states must be backed by a strong regulation. That’s the reason why the
authorities are pushing for Water Resources Bill to be passed into law. The wider implication is
to promote corporatisation of state water agencies, in view of the fact that the federal government
does not have a water board. The only water board which people erroneously believe belongs to
the federal government is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) water board that is under a city
administration.
The National Urban Water Sector Reform Programme, which is in its third phase, is supporting
states to corporatise, and to improve their capacity to do proper billing towards effective cost
recovery. It is hoped that investors will be encouraged to run water schemes and ensure that
people have the capacity to run water plants efficiently. Such could provide opportunity for
water availability and sustainability.
However, the commercial approach to water has met a great deal of resistance. Consumers and
some human right organisations don’t see any justification to pay for water because they see
water provision as a social service and a gift from the heavens; they are promoting a crusade
against any aspect of privatisation and commercialisation of water as they regard water as a basic
human right.
Filling the gaps in the coverage of water is important. Perhaps now is the time to look at the
reform opportunities available and seek ways to institutionalise them. Planning is critical, and it
requires a comprehensive and integrated approach. Planning for sustainable water supply is not
only about infrastructure, it is also about urban planning. If the environment is not planned, water
systems will be difficult to plan.
We need to have effective planning to map water assets to know what needs to be replaced,
expanded, and the budget needed for operation and maintenance. A WaterAid initiative called
Political Economy Analysis (PEA) is laudable. It helps to identify entry points in terms of
knowing where the power base lies or those that sabotage the water sector.
In 2018, the country declared a state of emergency on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
sector with the chief aim of mobilising the sub-national entities as well as development partners
for total turnaround of the water sector. It is a way of ensuring that the entire value chain and the
benefits due to the end-users take proper hold in view of UN’s study which reveals that almost
70 per cent of the jobs in the world are associated with water.
But in achieving more equitable provision of the WASH services, the WASH sector should be
seen as the responsibility of every Nigerian, not just the federal and state governments.
Resources should be redirected to focus more on the provision of WASH facilities and the need
to continue to subsidise these services especially in the rural areas.
The Partnership for Expanding Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programme
was introduced to create a coordination platform to ensure key actors are integrated effectively.
The federal government is in discussions with the World Bank under the PEWASH programme,
to make a provision for about $700m to support rural and urban water supply initiatives. A
portion of this fund will be competed for by the states. As a matter of fact, part of the conditions
to partake in the World Bank facility is for states to produce at least 15-30 years water supply
plans that will accommodate baseline data and population projection. This is in line with the
Buhari Administration which has declared that federal government investment in WASH
programme must be accompanied by commensurate efforts on the part of the states.
In addition, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources hinted that the fund would be deployed for
the creation of model cities. Six model cities are being proposed, and they will take into account
the entire water supply requirements from source to treatment, transmission, storage and
distribution.
The PEWASH programme also has a component of what is called Water and Sanitation
Entrepreneurship. This is partly aimed at developing a sanitation market economy where people,
as part of pollution safeguards, can produce cheap toilets in tandem with the Order 009 signed by
the federal government to end open defecation by 2025. It is worthy to note that Nigeria has been
on the forefront of open defecation with about 47 million people said to be practising open
defecation in the country. However, records show that the country has reduced open defecation
by about a million people, bringing the number to about 46 million. In complementing this effort,
WaterAid is working with Enugu state through an inter-ministerial committee to develop a state
action plan to manage fecal sludge and turn waste to wealth.
These numerous measures as outlined are meant to provide the enabling environment for
efficiency and effectiveness so that the country can progress steadily to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) which focus on clean water and sanitation, and equal distribution of
water. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has a 15-year roadmap (2016-2030) aligned to
its National Water Resources Masterplan and the SDGs. These measures became necessary after
an assessment of the terrible water and sanitation situation and why the country failed to meet the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
