PROGRAM THEMES

Commercial Viability

To put Nigeria water utilities on a path towards financial sustainability, efforts must be directed towards strengthening commercial approaches for water service provision based on a cost reflective tariffs system. Efforts should focus on improving customer care, revenue collection efficiency, and cost optimization. Customer-orientation services ensure equity in service delivery and pricing structure, which minimizes impact on the poor, but guarantees sustainable cost recovery for the utility.

Governance and Social Accountability

Good corporate governance, social accountability, and responsiveness are key attributes of successful WASH utilities. The urban WASH sector in Nigeria has been pursuing improved sector accountability, but finds it difficult to make much progress. Sector reform efforts are slowed by the magnitude of the challenge, unsteady political will, and a lack of incentive for change. Increased efforts must be directed at coordination, corporate governance, and social accountability to reinforce messages, achieve scale, and increase the adoption of performance expectations, performance incentives, and performance-based management.

Urban Sanitation and Hygiene

Over 130 million people (70% of the population) lack access to adequate sanitation in Nigeria. The near absence of sewerage services in Nigeria, coupled with weak regulation and institutional responsibility for on-site sanitation services, presents severe challenges. Access to improved sanitation in Nigeria is reported to be as low as 29% in urban areas. The prevalence of open defecation is also reported in urban areas, involving 14.6% of urban residents. The absence of centralized sewerage systems remains a challenge, as well. Access to improved sanitation essentially relies on individual on-site sanitation such as household pit latrines or septic tanks. Only 3% of the population is connected to a flush/pour flush to piped sewerage system.

Citizen’s Engagement

Citizens should be educated on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene issues for improved health. The lives of ordinary citizens can be improved through awareness on urban WASH issues, facilitation of social discussions around urban WASH, evidence-based debates, and education through institutions and groups e.g. schools, churches and other social groups.