Strategies for achieving water security in Nigeria by 2050

Abstract

Background: Water security denotes the capacity of the people to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socioeconomic development, for protection against waterborne pollution and water-related disasters, a nd for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability. Nigeria has many rivers that cover about 10,812,400 hectares, and therefore water security should be assured all things being equal but burdened with an estimated 30 % dysfunctional status of newly provided water supply infrastructure within the first year of provision. Situation analysis: As of 2018 , access to basic water supply services reached 67.9% with 87.3% for people living in urban areas and 59.7 % for those in rural areas, while about 69 million people lack access to improved drinking-water sources, with attendant high prevalence of water-borne diseases, threat to the livelihoods, and low levels of school enrolment , especially among girls. Forecast: Nigeria, with the fastest-growing population among the ten most populous countries in the world, is expected to have a population of 400 million by 2050. This rapid increase in population has been projected to stress the available water resource s in the country if not adequately regulated and managed, thereby leading to an increase in water pollution, food shortage, and conflicts. Challenges: The poor state of water supply infrastructure, climate change, numerous breakdown s of water supply infrastructures, inadequate measures for cost recovery, Skewed political will at state and local government level. Strategies to achieving water security: Revitalization and strengthening of the water, sanitation and hygiene sector information management system, revision and activation of the national M&E framework with monitoring and evaluation indicators measurement, strengthening the operation and maintenance system to support real time maintenance of water supply infrastructures. Conclusion: With the exponential rate at which water demand is increasing in Nigeria, this review considered the enactment of appropriate legislation, with enforcement arms, and the activation of the national M & E framework with monitoring and evaluation systems and indicators toward s significant progress towards achieving household water security in Nigeria