Abstract
Abstract One of the major problems confronting public water utilities in Nigeria is how to realise effective piped water tariff revenues collection. This study was therefore conducted to identify the major factors constraining household willingness to pay for piped water tariffs in Nigeria, using Ekiti State as a case study, and possible interventions which might help to improve the situation from the perspective of piped water customers. A tested survey has been used through a representative sampling process. The research findings were checked with additional data from relevant literature and legal documents. Findings revealed that political promise, availability of other water sources, lack of recognition of drinking water as a human right, inadequate method of collecting tariff revenues, and poor response to complaints were the major factors constraining household willingness to pay for piped water tariffs in the studied case in Nigeria. The suggested major possible interventions which might help to improve the situation include the installation of water meters, instituting a customer consultative forum, as well as putting in place improved customer relations. To be effective, it is crucial that public water utilities in Nigeria incorporate these factors into piped water supply decision-making and policy measures.
Highlights
Nigeria is faced with many challenges in the drinking water subsector (Akoteyon 2019)
The Ekiti State Water Corporation Law No 4 of 1997, CAP E36, was silent on who collects payments, in practice, the EKSWC was responsible for collecting tariff payments
This study raises the issue of factors constraining household willingness to pay for piped water tariffs in Nigeria, using Ekiti State as a case study
Summary
Nigeria is faced with many challenges in the drinking water subsector (Akoteyon 2019). Besides rising population and decreasing piped coverage, unwillingness to pay for drinking water tariffs remains as one of the most critical challenges facing the public utility managers in Nigeria. Paying for piped or drinking water has a major impact on the viability and financial selfsufficiency of a water utility as well as on the long-term sustainability of the services being provided. Investigating the factors constraining willingness to pay for piped water tariffs will provide vital information for setting affordable tariffs, evaluating decision and policy alternatives, assessing the financial sustainability of drinking water utilities, and designing a socially equitable tariffs structure, as well as its collection and recovery. Failure to design a socially robust piped water tariffs, collection and recovery policy impacts investment and operation, piped network extension, and water use. Piped networks expansion is vital to guaranteeing access to drinking water in any community, and a vital option to meeting target 6.1 of Agenda 2030 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
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