65% of Bauchi State residents lack clean water, says WaterAid Nigeria

WaterAid Nigeria has said that 65 per cent of Bauchi State residents lack access to clean water.

The non-governmental organisation disclosed this at town hall meeting organised by Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) with stakeholders at the weekend.

According to the NGO’s lead in Bauchi, Wandoo Akosu, “60.2 per cent of households don’t have access to improved water resources, with only 13 per cent of households having such access within their premises.”

Akosu described access to sanitation materials among households in the state as poor, with 57.1 per cent of residents lacking access to basic sanitation services, thereby exposing 15 per cent of households to open defecation and diseases.

“Rural access to water is poorer, with just over half of the rural populace (52 per cent) having access to water and 65 per cent rural dwellers not having access to sanitation.

“The effect of this is that poor WASH access in Bauchi has been monumental, contributing to the high severe poverty rate (70 per cent), 13 per cent of diarrhoea prevalence rate among children between zero and five years old,” she said.