Lagos: Part 3

A lot of water is lost from direct groundwater and lagoon sources through leaking and illegal use (particularly in slums) in Lagos today. Coupled with the rapidly increasing population, and the low quality of water due to contamination from a lack of a sewage treatment system, the water supply is simply inadequate. UNICEF (1995) estimated that only 85% of households have access to safe water. Whilst this figure has significantly increased, water is a basic provision and 15% of the population in Lagos do not have access to it. Aina et al. (1994) estimated that 11% of the population had to walk over a kilometre to get water.

Harday et al. (2001) estimate that only 216,000 m³ of water is treated. Demand however, requires much more than this. The rich often have access to potable, treated drinking water; it is the poor that suffer. Slum residents and the urban poor of Lagos tend to have to buy water at prices with approximately a 400%-1000% mark-up on piped water supplies. Furthermore, slum settlements tend to emerge in areas which are the most prone to flooding. Combined with inadequate sewage treatment systems, sewage tends to flood the streets in slums, increasing the likelihood of disease and death to residents.

Kuvaja (2001) estimated that the infrastructural capacity of Lagos could fulfil needs of a maximum of 300,000 people. The population has however been approximated to be 70 times this.

In 1995, the UN estimated only a small percentage of wastewater was treated.  The only implemented sewage system is in the first commercial metropolitan area of Lagos: Victoria Island. Victoria Island even homes a Porsche showroom (McTernan, 2012)! Those that live in this area are obviously wealthy with assets such as land, cars and houses, thus once again illustrating the ignored needs of the poor. Sewage in less affluent areas of Lagos, tend to be disposed of by the drainage of rainwater through open ditches.

As the population continues to develop, so does the economy and its industries. Contamination of water sources originate from breweries, food industries, chemical industries, solid wastes from houses, sawmills and domestic sewage. Lagos also has major frequent floods, which sometimes carry sewage and industrial waste to groundwater sources. Piped water is also sometimes contaminated due to lack of effective treatment. Aina et al. (1994) asserts that Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Streptococcus and Bacillus are normal contaminants of piped water. These impurities lead to diarrhoea, guinea worm, cholera and typhoid. Malaria is also a huge issue in Lagos (Gandy, 2014)

More recently, the water sector has attempted to be privatised and certain schemes have been proposed and rejected. Fox (2013) posits that Lagos suffers from acute water infrastructure deficiencies. Municipal attempts to extend services have frequently been met by intimidation and outright sabotage by the informal providers who profit from the lack of water infrastructure in underserved areas (Gandy, 2006).

Parts of Lagos, such as Oshodi, have an improving water and sanitation situation due to development and projects to monitor variables such as refuse. However, new projects are giving rise to the demolition of homes, pushing people into slums and less affluent areas, which do not benefit from the projects. There are still entire sections of the city, which have been left behind, such as Ajegunle and Apapa. Whilst areas such as Oshodi and Victoria Island, continue to develop and leave behind the water and sanitation crisis with new projects, slum areas are increasing in Lagos and the water and sanitation is beginning to deteriorate once again (Ogunlesi, 2013). 

Unfortunately there is not much recent literature (within the past 5 years) at my disposal to tell you the current situation in Lagos and where it looks like it’s heading. However, from what is available, it is evident that inequalities are widening as metropolitan commercial areas continue to develop and give rise to the creation of more slums, which have deteriorating water and sanitation conditions.

Next stop… Cairo!!!

Aina T., Florence E., Cyril O. ( 1994 ). The Search For Sustainable Urban Development in Metropolitan Lagos, Nigeria. In: Third World Planning Review 

Harday J., Mitlin D., Satterthwaite P.( 2001 ). Environmental Problems in the Home, Workplace and Neighbourhood. In: Environmental Problems in An Urbanizing World. Earthscan, London. p.37-113.

Kuvaja K.(2001). Low-income Housing in Lagos. In: Järvelä M., Korpela M., Kuvaja K. ( 2001 ): African Flows, Environment, Health and Information Activities for Communities in Africa. University Printing House, Jyväskylä.

UNICEF ( 1995 ). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Unicef, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

United Nations ( UN ) ( 1995 ). The Challenge of Urbanization: The world’s large cities, United Nations Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis Population Division, New York.