Water Management in the Private Domain: A Comparative Analysis of Urban Water Management Practice in Nigeria’s Niger Delta

E Ukpong,E Ansa

doi:10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3s1p196

Abstract

The paper compares three contextually different urban areas in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to understand how private involvement in the management of water has affected the spatial and socio-economic circumstances of the population. A wide range of methods including semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of secondary records were used to collect data. The paper observed different forms of private water services including commercial/private borehole, sachet/bottled water services, mobile supplies etc. Their mode of operations and services were not significantly different between the three urban areas despite differences in institutional histories. Findings show there is pervasive impact of private engagement in the supplies and management of water services in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. However such engagement is haphazard, uncoordinated, unclear and highly unregulated. We observed that while public supplies target high income residential areas, the low income areas have been taken over by commercial water vendors to further capital accumulation. Consequently the low income earners employ all forms of daily rationing practice of allocating water to minimize expenditure while indirectly maximizing potential for health and other socio-economic problems. The paper argues that the involvement of the private sector in the management of water resources in Nigeria is a neoliberal agenda translated to reflect the demands and pressures of some major international financial organizations including the World Bank and IMF, rather than practical concerns for the citizens’ interest and needs. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3s1p196

Highlights

The problem of water is much more pronounced especially in Africa where a combination of resource limitation and growing demand as well as poor management have rendered access to water supply highly inadequate
Oppositional arguments against private sector involvement in water management have always centered their positions on the inherent universal and human right imperatives of water, which cannot be guaranteed within the context of profit drive and market concerns (Budds and McGranahan 2003, Marvin and Laurie 1999, K’ Akumu 2006, etc)
Across the urban areas in the Niger Delta the private sector have been visible in the areas of commercial and private boreholes, sachet/table water, mobile supply services and various other forms of partnership with the public agencies in forms of service, management, lease and concession contracts

Summary

Introduction

The problem of water is much more pronounced especially in Africa where a combination of resource limitation and growing demand as well as poor management have rendered access to water supply highly inadequate. In one of the responses to these issues, a new paradigm has evolved to place water within the mechanism of market allocation. This entails the consideration of water as an economic good that would be subject to the dictates of demand and supply as well as emphasis on demand-oriented management strategy. Oppositional arguments against private sector involvement in water management have always centered their positions on the inherent universal and human right imperatives of water, which cannot be guaranteed within the context of profit drive and market concerns (Budds and McGranahan 2003, Marvin and Laurie 1999, K’ Akumu 2006, etc). In spite of the many reasons for privatization, some people still believe it will not serve the interest of a greater number of Nigerians

Methods

Results

Conclusion