BENIN CITY: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Benin City (capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria) 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 Benin.
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
Benin is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 1.2 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is a flat city at an altitude of about 80 m above sea level, on the Benin River; it comprises three local government areas (LGAs), Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and Oredo. Climate is tropical savannah (Köppen classification Aw). Heavy flooding occurs during the rainy seasaon (Okaka 2000). Pollutant industrial activities include rubber, timber and food processing. There is significant horticultural activity within the metropolitan area (Obi 1994). A large proportion of the population lives in low-income settlements.
Water resources and supply: overview
No information currently available on water resources. A useful study of one central district (Uselu) of Egor LGA found that 50% used water from private bore-holes, 22% used community standpipes, and 28% used water from other sources (river, wells, rainwater); 70% did not use any form of water purification; the piped water supply is irregular (Isah & Okojie 2007).
Sanitation access
A study of one central district (Uselu) of Egor LGA found that 72% of households had a flush-toilet (though it is not clear whether these discharged to septic tanks or directly to open drains); 18% had latrines, while about 6% reported open defecation and 1% used bucket latrine (Isah & Okojie 2007). This report also contains useful information on hand-washing and other aspects of hygiene behaviour. A similarly useful study of school sanitation in Egor LGA has been reported by Wagbatasoma & Aimiuwu (2008). No city-level statistics are available. 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”.
Sewerage system
Benin 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 information available.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
As far as we are aware, Benin has no major wastewater treatment facilities.
Sanitation in low-income districts
No information available. 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). Formal responsibility for sanitation in Benin City lies with the Edo State Environmental & Waste Management Board, but it is not clear whether this responsibility is in any sense met. [Omuta (2006) is a detailed study of institutional responsibilities for environmental management in Benin City, though the focus is on solid waste management, not sanitation.]
Sanitation masterplan?
As far as we know, there is no current sanitation masterplan, or broader masterplan covering sanitation.
Sanitation financing
No information.
Major investments and donor interventions
No information.
Sources and further reading
No information.
References
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
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
Isah EC & Okojie OH (2007) Environmental sanitation in an urban community in Benin City, Edo State. Niger Postgrad Med J 14(1): 12-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17356582
Obi RU (1994) Urban agriculture in Benin City, Nigeria: A study of small-scale crop farmers. Trialog 4(43): 40-43. Not available online.
Okaka CE, Awharitoma AO, Okonji JN (2000) Gastrointestinal parasites of school children in Benin City, Nigeria. Iranian Journal of Public Health 29(1-4): 1-12. http://journals.tums.ac.ir/abs.aspx?org_id=59&culture_var=en&journal_id=5&issue_id=83&manuscript_id=792&segment=en
Omuta GED (2006) Environmental planning, administration and management in Nigerian Cities: The example of Benin City, Bendel State. Public Administration and Development 8(1):1-14. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/113452169/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
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
Wagbatsoma VA & Aimiuwu U (2008) Sanitary provision and helminthiasis among school children in Benin City, Nigeria. Niger Postgrad Med J. 15(2): 105-11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18575482
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