• ‘70% of Nigerians rely on unsafe water’
Report released yesterday has blamed corruption and deliberate underfunding by state governments for the poor state of water infrastructure across Nigeria.
The report, titled: “Dry Taps: A Damning Verdict on the State of Water Utilities in Nigeria,” was launched by a coalition of six civil society organisations, comprising Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE), Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and New Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI).
The report’s findings, based on research in six states (Kogi, Oyo, Lagos, Enugu, Edo, and Kano), paint a grim picture of Nigeria’s water sector.
In the public presentation of the report, AUPCTRE General Secretary, Sikiru Waheed, explained that though the scope of the research was limited to six out of Nigeria’s 36 states, it deliberately captured the situation in, at least, one state per geographical zone, thereby creating overall picture of access to water in the entire federation.
The research revealed that most major waterworks in the states were functioning below capacity, while mini and micro-waterworks were either shut, neglected or vandalised.
According to the report, the Ikpoba River Dam in Edo State, which once produced over 90 million gallons of water per day, has been abandoned.
Similar scenarios were reported in other states, with low morale among workers in public utilities due to lack of funding.
The report’s authors are calling for a state of emergency in the water sector, increased public participation in planning, and a probe into billions of naira in loans for water schemes.
They also demand strengthened public accountability in managing water resources.
As Nigeria prepares to commemorate World Water Day 2025, this report serves as a stark reminder of the country’s pressing water crisis.
With millions of Nigerians relying on unwholesome sources of water, the need for urgent action to address this crisis cannot be overstated.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of EDEN, Chima Williams, accused state governments of paying lip service to water provision.
He said: “What we have found in all the states we visited is that the state governments are only sloganeering on ensuring their citizens have unfettered access to potable water. It is a ruse. How else can one explain their neglect of water utilities that were built with billions of naira? It is shocking and very depressing.”
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director of CFSF, Sani Baba, cautioned: “If the government continues on this trajectory of neglect of the water utilities, then a public health disaster of unimaginable proportions is inevitable. The appetite for privatisation sweeping across the country from Lagos to Kano and the other states is a wind that will ultimately blow no good because it does not concern itself with the situation in the rural communities.”
