The Nigerians Institution of Water Engineers has reported that approximately 179 million Nigerians do not have access to safe drinking water, resulting in contaminated water sources that have caused various diseases throughout the country. NIWE National Chairman, Adeyinka Sobowale, disclosed this statistic during a press briefing in Abeokuta to commemorate World Water Day.
The data was obtained from the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping conducted in 2021 by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with the involvement of the Bureau of Statistics, as well as partners such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund.
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Sobowale also noted that government-owned state water agencies have been underperforming and that self-supply from unwholesome water sources has become the norm, with 87 percent of Nigerians lacking access to safely managed drinking water services. This situation is an obstacle to the nation’s development, as food security is negatively impacted by inadequate water supply.
