LAGOS: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Lagos (the largest city in Nigeria, capital of Lagos State in the southwest of the country) is grossly deficient, as in most cities in sub-Saharan Africa: most people do not have access to a hygienic toilet; large amounts of faecal waste are discharged to the environment without adequate treatment; this is likely to have major impacts on infectious disease burden and quality of life (Hutton et al. 2007). This article briefly summarizes the current sanitation situation in Lagos.
This page is part of the fully editable open-access reference source on the sanitation status of all major cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The resource considers the 40 urban agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa with a current population of 1 million or more. To read some of the other 40 country profiles, go back tothe resource Homepage.
N.B These pages should be considered as incomplete provisional drafts, and contributions are actively requested from specialists with expert local knowledge of each specific city
Table of Contents
- Background information
- Water resources and supply: overview
- Sanitation access
- Sewerage system
- Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
- Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
- Sanitation in low-income districts
- Responsibility
- Sanitation masterplan?
- Sanitation financing
- Major investments and donor interventions
- Sources and further reading
- References
- Other City Profiles
Background information
Lagos is the largest urban agglomeration in sub-Saharan Africa, with a population of about 11.4 million people (Brinkhoff 2010); it is growing at 10-5% per annum, and by 2020 may be the third largest city in the world (DFID 2004). Much of the city is built around coastal lagoons, though suburbs extend inland for over 40 km; for a useful summary of physical and human geography, see Iwugo et al. (2003). Climate is tropical savannah (Köppen classification Aw). Flooding is very frequent and very severe: every year, about 40% of households suffer street flooding, and about 15% flooding inside their homes (Gandy 2006, World Bank 2006). Industrial activity is extensive and diverse. There is significant horticultural activity within the metropolitan area (Ezedinma & Chukuezi 1999). An estimated 70% of the population lives in slum settlements.
Water resources and supply: overview
The formal water supply is obtained mainly from two rivers, the Iju and the Owo (170,000 and 265,000 m3 per day respectively). We do not currently have detailed statistics on water access. However, Gandy (2006) states that only 10% about of households have an in-plot connection, with other household depending on communal standpipes, wells or surface water sources. This author states that “when municipal authorities do attempt to extend water supply to poorer neighbourhoods they are often met with violence and intimidation from water tanker lobbies, ‘area 13 boys’ and other groups who benefit from the unequal distribution of water and the ‘micro-circuits’ of exploitation which characterize slum life” (Gandy 2006).
Sanitation access
USAID (2009) notes that “Lack of accurate date makes it impossible to determine whether Nigeria is making progress to meet its MDG targets in the WSS sector”. Common sanitation solutions include open defecation, plastic-bag defecation, various types of latrine, pour-flush toilets discharging to open drains, and pour-flush toilets discharging to septic tanks. Lagos has no sewerage system. We are not aware of quantitative data on sanitation access, for Lagos as a whole or for specific districts. The very poor sanitation situation is compounded by the frequent and severe flooding affecting many areas (World Bank 2006).
Sewerage system
Lagos has no sewerage system (except for very small systems serving institutions and private estates).
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
No detailed information available.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
As far as we are aware, no major wastewater treatment facilities.
Sanitation in low-income districts
About 70% of the total population is estimated to live in slum communities, often subject to severe flooding, and with population densities of 800-1200 people per hectare (World Bank 2006). The sprawling city now extends far beyond its original lagoon setting to encompass a vast expanse of mostly low-rise developments including as many as 200 different slums ranging in size from clusters of shacks underneath highways to entire districts such as Ajegunle and Mushin (Gandy 2006). some of the most extensive slums in Lagos such as Ajegunle, Mushin and Somolu (Gandy 2006). Major low-income districts due to benefit from the World Bank’s Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (World Bank 2006) are Agege, Ajegunle, Amukoko, Badia , Iwaya, Makoko, Ilaje, Bariga, and Ijeshatedohtire. We are not aware of any detailed mapping of high-sanitation-need districts, or of any specific policy for sanitation improvement in informal settlements.
Responsibility
Federal and state responsibilities are summarized in USAID (2009). Overall administrative responsibility for the Lagos agglomeration is complex; there is currently no clearly defined municipal authority, although the agglomeration broadly corresponds to Lagos State, extending over 16 of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of this state. Lagos State Water Corporation is responsible for water supply only.
Sanitation masterplan?
No detailed information: we presume that there is no recent masterplan. Iwugo et al. (2003) mention various sanitation planning studies carried out prior to 2000.
Sanitation financing
No detailed information is available. However, municipal services provision in general faces very severe problems: “Locally relevant data for planning, credible prioritization of investments and programs, and monitoring the results of public expenditures does not exist. A breakdown in basic systems o f taxation and user charges during the military years has entrenched a culture of non-payment for services. Establishing basic systems for the collection of user charges and local taxation in Lagos will remain a substantial challenge to link cost recovery with sustainable service delivery in the years ahead”(World Bank 2006).
Major investments and donor interventions
World Bank “Lagos Drainage and Sanitation Project”, total budget US$ 63 million, was a 1990s project to improve stormwater drainage (World Bank 1998).
World Bank “Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project”, total budget US$ 200 million, is a major ongoing project with slum upgrading, stormwater drainage and solid waste management component (World Bank 2006).
Sources and further reading
Joe Lambongong - WaterAid Nigeria Country Representative, Tel: +(234) 9 4611672
·National Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation - Anthonly Akpan (South West Zonal Coordinator)
Water and Sanitation Media Network, Nigeria - http://watsanmnet.wordpress.com/
Lagos State Wter Corporation: http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/index.php?page=moduledetail&mpid=110&mnusub=par&mnu=module
References
Ezedinma C & Chukuezi C (1999) A comparative analysis of urban agricultural enterprises in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Journal of Environment and Urbanization, 11(2): 135–144. http://eau.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/11/2/135.pdf
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
DFID (2004) Country Assistance Plan for Nigeria. Department for International Development, UK.
Gandy (2006) Water, Sanitation and the Modern City: Colonial and Post-colonial Experiences in Lagos and Mumbai. Occasional Paper of the 2006 Human Development Report. http://waterwiki.net/index.php/Water,_Sanitation_and_the_Modern_City:_Colonial_and_Post-colonial_Experiences_in_Lagos_and_Mumbai
Hutton G, Haller L & Bartram J (2007) Economic and health effects of increasing coverage of low cost household drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to countries off-track to meet MDG target 10. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization. http://www.irc.nl/page/38443
Iwugo KO, D’Arcy B & Andoh R (2003) Aspects of land-based pollution of an African coastal megacity of Lagos. Paper presented at the Diffuse Pollution Conference, Dublin 2003. http://www.ucd.ie/dipcon/docs/theme14/theme14_32.PDF
UNEP/GRID-Arendal (2002) Water availability in Africa. UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/water_availability_in_africa.
USAID (2009) Nigeria: Water and Sanitation Profile. http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADO937.pdf
World Bank (1998) Lagos Drainage and Sanitation Project: Report and Recommendation on Request for Inspection. http://go.worldbank.org/LQJCMUY8N0
World Bank (2006) Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project: Project Appraisal Document.
Other City Profiles
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7) BRAZZAVILLE (Republic of Congo) 3
12) DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania) 3
14) DURBAN THEKWINI (South Africa) 3
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23) KINSHASA (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
27) LUBUMBASHI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
31) MBUJI-MAYI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
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36) PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa) 3
