MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEM OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY IN NIGERIA. A CASE STUDY OF SOKOTO STATE WATER BOARD

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Nigeria is blessed by nature with a lot of natural resources amongst which water is one of them; WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) confirmed that Nigeria was blessed with abundant water resources, the excess of which has been causing flood and erosion in many part of the country.  However, the distribution of this water resources was not evenly spread over the country, life and other agricultural activities every year irrespective of the draught that frequently occur in the Northern part of the country of course, man had been obtaining water for domestic and other purposes since man’s creation.  Water supply can therefore be said to be as old as man itself. In spite of the availability of resource, WHO (1976) maintained that “its supply to the majority of the population especially, the rural areas is very much inadequate”. Rural water supply simply defined as a wide category of scheme ranging from a well width buchet supplying water to a few isolated but to river pumping scheme from such a simple treatment as communal stand pipes to tap in individuals homes and provisions for livestock and vegetable gardens. ILO (1991), however stated that various traditional means of obtaining water has been developed by individual and communities for many centuries and that some of these systems were very much in use by various communities both rural and urban.

The United Nations Economic commission for Africa (1973) confirmed that it was only about 20% of the population of Nigeria that have access to portable water supply.  It further stated that majority of these people are those that are living in the urban and semi urban area of the country and that even the privileged places that has access to such facilities were not being served sufficiently. Thus the need for the provision of adequate water supply and sanitation is highly appreciated.  And this had promoted the choice of the topic on the Management and Operational Problems of Rural Water Supply in Nigeria, a case study of Sokoto state water board, with a view to recommending solutions which if implemented, would help to solve these problems and better still alleviate the suffering of the people as it relates to accessibility to portable water supply. The Water board was originally charged with the statutory responsibility of supplying drinking water to all the urban as well as the rural communities .  The general manager is responsible for the day to day running of the corporation, while the Board of Directors or the Commissioner of the controlling ministry in the absence of the Governing Board is responsible for policy matters only. It stated that the corporation is presently operating up to eleven (11) zonal offices in the state. The corporation is principally maintained by the government through subventions and budget allocation for capital projects and from internally generated revenue, water tariffs, sales, fees etc, for its day to day operations.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Sokoto State has been without adequate supply of potable water.  This portable water supply inadequacies being experienced in the rural communities of Sokoto have been brought about many factors.  Despite the huge sums of money being spent in this rural water supply, water is still very inadequate.

1. It has been difficult for the society to understand the extent of the aims and objectives for setting up the water board.
2. Another problem is whether the resources (both human and material) are adequate.
3. The attitude of water consumers has also constituted problems.
4. The instability in government and constant changes in leadership, have not helped matters.