By Abbas Nazil
A new report has revealed that 70 percent of Nigerians rely on unsafe water sources, exposing a nationwide crisis in the country’s water utilities.
The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) disclosed this alarming report findings in Abuja during a press briefing last Thursday.
The findings stem from a report compiled after a fact-finding mission conducted across six states—Enugu, Edo, Lagos, Oyo, Kogi, and Kano—by multiple organizations, including Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), New Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI), Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Ecumenical Water Network Africa (EWN-A), Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), and the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC), in collaboration with AUPCTRE.
Philip Jakpor, Executive Director of RDI, stated that the investigation highlighted issues that have long been visible but largely ignored.
He blamed the government for the poor state of water utilities, alleging that despite substantial financial allocations to the water sector, there is little evidence that the funds are being used appropriately.
The RDI helmsman warned that this systemic neglect could ultimately lead to the collapse of public water utilities, paving the way for their privatization.
The report paints a grim picture of Nigeria’s water infrastructure, citing deteriorating facilities, inadequate funding for water treatment, erratic power supply leading to high operational costs, manpower shortages, and unpaid workers.
AUPCTRE’s General Secretary, Sikiru Waheed, emphasized that while the study covered only six states, it serves as a representative snapshot of the national crisis.
Chima Williams, Executive Director of EDEN, criticized state governments for their failure to ensure access to potable water.
He accused them of merely making empty promises while allowing vital water infrastructure to decay.
In Kano, for example, the three main waterworks meet the needs of less than 10 percent of the city’s population.
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Similarly, in Enugu, despite billions of naira allocated for network expansion, there is little to show for the investment, and the Enugu Water Corporation serves only 11,234 customers.
The report also highlights severe water shortages in other states.
In Oyo, the Eleyele Scheme in Ibadan is heavily reliant on generators due to unreliable electricity.
In Edo, the Ikpoba River Dam, once producing over 90 million gallons daily, is no longer operational, and private fish ponds have taken over parts of the facility.
In Kogi, the Greater Lokoja Waterworks remains shut down since the 2022 floods, and all zonal sub-station offices are non-functional.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, is also struggling with a worsening water crisis.
In 2017, N760 million was allocated to rehabilitate 48 mini and micro waterworks to address a 500-million-gallon daily supply deficit.
However, most waterworks remain in a dire state, operating far below their installed capacity.
Major facilities like the Adiyan and Iju Waterworks were found to be functioning sub-optimally.
During the press briefing, Sani Baba, Executive Director of CFSF, warned that continued neglect of water infrastructure could lead to a major public health crisis.
He also criticized ongoing privatization efforts, arguing that they ignore the plight of rural communities. Other speakers, including representatives from EWN-A, SERDEC, and NELCCI, pointed out that staff morale within water utilities is at an all-time low, with many workers approaching retirement and no clear plans to replace them.
To address the crisis, the organizations recommended declaring a state of emergency in the water sector and increasing public participation in decision-making.
They urged the federal and state governments to reject water privatization and fully uphold water as a basic human right.
They called for an investigation into the billions of naira allocated for failed water projects and demanded greater accountability in managing water resources.
