List of Sanitation Challenges in the Niger Delta, Nigeria
The sum total of all these challenges has been serial occurrences of known and alien ailments to the people. Over 30 million households found in the oil-bearing Niger delta communities are vulnerable to these concerns.
1. Unlined
Pit latrines and poorly built pour flush latrines and toilets are in widespread use
in most households though the user ratio is about 25 persons to 1 latrine.
2. Major drinking water sources are also from unlined wells and poorly constructed boreholes; in addition to unprotected surface water sources such as rivers and streams that are vulnerable to animal, human and industrial pollution.
3. The use of water treatment or filtration technologies for drinking water at the household level is commonly an ignored intervention.
4. Women and
children bear the enormous burden of water collection, cooking, washing and
productive activities in most of the communities
5. Malaria,
filariasis and diarrhoea remained the top three endemic diseases in the
communities. Diarrhoea in particular remains a killer disease, especially for young
children in the communities.
6. Hand washing,
particularly after using the latrine was uncommon; open defecation and use of
hard substances for anal defecation was widespread.
7. There was
the absence of relevant skills (artisans) working on water and sanitation e.g. small-
scale plumbers etc; yet the unemployment amongst the youths was high, etc.
8. Households
accessing water from Rivers, Streams and ditches etc in the communities found
it convenient because it is always available and enough. There are often no
queues and time wasting in collecting this water.
9. Open defecation
is widespread especially in farmer communities.
10. There
are also problems of chemical contamination through industrial sources. Gas
flaring in the Niger Delta region has resulted to all season acid rain hence
harvesting of rain water for domestic uses is forbidden. Exploration activities
have given rise to the widespread presence of harmful industrial chemicals
which pollute rivers, streams and their catchments etc.
11. Poorly constructed boreholes were common as serious
flaws such as poor design, irregular maintenance and associated incrustation of
calcium carbonates, iron manganese hydroxides/hydrated oxides or bacteria
slimes etc. were common.
12. Some improperly developed wells which provide
drinking water to thousands of poor households retained large quantities of
drilling mud (including polymers) and cuttings from the annular space between
the well screen and formation walls.
13. There is also the problem of organic growth introduced during pumping (i.e. intake of O2) around the inner materials of the well.
14. Some boreholes or water points shared direct proximity with point pollution sources such as pit latrines, septic tanks and solid waste dump sites.
