Asari Ndem and Rejoice Daniel (Lead Writers)
In the quiet, peri-urban community of Kuje in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, Amina Hassan, 34, wakes up at 4 a.m. each day to join a long queue to fetch water.
Her water source? A shallow, visibly contaminated well which is the only option for her household of six and many other families in the area. Her story mirrors the everyday reality of millions of Nigerians who endure the daily torment of water scarcity and exposure to waterborne diseases.
While access to water is a basic human right, in Nigeria, it is a privilege riddled with compromises. The 2021 Water, Sanitation, Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) Survey revealed alarming gaps in water access and safety across Nigeria. Only 67% of Nigerians have access to basic drinking-water services and just 32% have an improved water source within their premises, forcing many to travel an average of 17 minutes to fetch water.

The health implications are severe, with 11% of households reporting at least one case of diarrhoea, in the two weeks preceding the WASH NORM survey. Stark disparities also exist, as only 10% of households have access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services, with the poorest populations lacking access to clean water across the country.
However, access alone does not equate to safe water. Nearly two out of the three Nigerians consume from water sources that are contaminated with waste, pathogens or industrial pollutants, making the concept of “access” dangerously misleading.
Even more alarming, 167 million Nigerians lack handwashing facilities with soap, 112 million have no decent toilets, and over 46 million still practice open defecation. These conditions not only breed disease but erode dignity and deepen poverty.
The quality of water in Nigeria is compromised by multiple environmental and human factors. Open defecation, poor sanitation infrastructure, and unsafe waste disposal are widespread.
Climate change compounds the issue, altering rainfall patterns and depleting freshwater reserves, while frequent flooding further contaminates water sources with sewage and industrial runoff.
These environmental stressors turn water sources into vectors for diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery, diseases that continue to claim thousands of lives, especially among children under five.
A public health emergency in numbers
According to data from the Nigerian Institute of Water Engineers (NIWE) published in March 2024, approximately 179 million Nigerians lack access to safely managed drinking water. The institute also revealed that about 67% of the population does not have access to basic water supply. This indicates that little to no progress has been made since previous reports.

In 2018, UNICEF reported that over 70,000 Nigerian children under five die annually from waterborne diseases like diarrhoea that could be preventable with access to safe water and improved hygiene. Based on UNICEF’s reports and related data sources, the estimated figure has remained unchanged, with no official decline reported to date.Families like Amina’s are trapped in a vicious cycle where unsafe water leads to frequent illness. Treating these illnesses drains the limited resources they have, adding financial strain.
Moreover, constant sickness affects their ability to work or attend school, reducing purchasing power and limiting opportunities, making it even harder to break free from poverty.
Policy landscape: Gaps and challenges
Nigeria has made several attempts to address the crisis. The National Action Plan on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), developed to align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation, is one of such initiatives. While comprehensive on paper, its implementation has been marred by poor coordination, fragmented governance, underfunding, and weak regulatory oversight.
Despite commitments, such as the government’s pledge of ₦1.6 trillion to boost WASH access by 2025, funding often fails to reach the vulnerable communities that need it most. Many policy frameworks exist in theory, but lack the accountability mechanisms to translate plans into tangible improvements.
Other West African countries offer hopeful models. Ghana’s Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme has mobilised rural communities to build latrines and eliminate open defecation with measurable success.
The initiative has had a significant impact in reducing open defecation and improving health outcomes. A study conducted in the Tamale Metropolis found that open defecation dropped dramatically from an average of 4.33 out of 5 (very frequent) before the CLTS implementation to just 1.68 out of 5 (rarely occurring) afterward.
The initiative also contributed to a reduction in waterborne diseases, particularly diarrhea, with an average decrease of about 20%, and up to 40% in well-implemented, high-coverage areas.
In addition, Senegal’s Water and Sanitation Programme, which integrates WASH into primary healthcare, has improved hygiene outcomes and reduced child mortality. It has significantly improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation for over 137,000 people across two cities and three rural areas.
The initiative focused on building and rehabilitating WASH infrastructure, which has notably contributed to better hygiene and reduced exposure to waterborne diseases. Nigeria can adopt similar bottom-up approaches, prioritising local leadership, community engagement, and performance-based funding to make lasting progress.
A Call to Action
To break the cycle of water scarcity and disease, experts suggest a multi-faceted approach:
1. Fully implement the WASH Action Plan, ensuring coordination among ministries and channelling funds directly to affected communities.
2. Integrate water infrastructure into health budgets, recognising that disease prevention is more cost-effective than treatment.
3. Empower communities through micro-grants and digital tools to lead water safety efforts, report misuse, and track progress.
According to Mr. Hamza Yunusa, co-founder of Hydronamics — a water management company, stresses “prevention is always cheaper than cure. Funding must be tied to results, not just infrastructure, but healthier lives.”
Fortunately, there are glimmers of hope. The Nigeria Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program (SURWASH) has already improved water access for millions. This progress was achieved by strategic government intervention, leveraging community involvement and effectively utilising international support, which have proven effective in several parts of the country, particularly in Katsina State, parts of Kaduna State, and across Ekiti State. However, these efforts remain limited and must be scaled up and better coordinated to achieve nationwide impact.
For families like Amina’s, time is a luxury they cannot afford. Without urgent and strategic action, the water crisis will remain a deadly and silent emergency in Nigeria which can be averted by prioritising access to safe water for all.