Nigerian Journal of Technology (NIJOTECH)

Vol. 41, No. 6, November, 2022, pp.1031 - 1035

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Electronic ISSN: 2467-8821
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v41i6.14

ASSESSMENT OF POTABLE WATER ACCESSIBILITY IN IKOLE-EKITI,

NIGERIA

A. O. Oloye1,*, O. A. Ilesanmi1, B. A. Alabadan1, O. E. Omofunmi1, K. O. Oni2, and

M. T. Ebong1
1Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Federal University Oye-Ekiti,
Nigeria.
2Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria.

*corresponding author (Email: [email protected])

Article history: Received 16 April, 2022. Revised 09 January, 2023. Accepted 11 January, 2023

Abstract
Water occurred naturally and it is used widely for drinking, cooking, washing, agricultural activities, population
expansion, urbanization, generation of power, and industrialization. Availability and accessibility are used to
estimate the percentage of the population using safe water sources. However, potable water is inaccessible and
unavailable for use in most of the communities in Nigeria. Therefore, this study access safe potable water sources
available for use in three towns in Ikole LGA of Ekiti State, Nigeria. A random sampling approach was adopted
by selecting households and respondents for participation in the study. Questionnaires were administered to 40
respondents in each of the three communities chosen giving a total of 120 respondents for this study. Data
collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that available water sources were
streams, rivers, rain, wells, boreholes, and lakes. 41.67 % of the respondents have access to safe water sources
and also use water filters. There is the urgent need for Nigeria to invest more in accessing safe water sources for
its citizens to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: Accessibility, Domestic Use, Human Activities, Survey, Water.

1.0 INTRODUCTION in the maintenance of plant life and the ecosystem's

Water occurred in natural form for all living things on equilibration. Rainwater runoff from a network of
the planet, and it influences a wide range of human rivers flows steadily into rivers, lakes, and the sea [4].
activities, including population expansion, Surface and groundwater sources are the primary raw
development, urbanization, and industrialization. It is water sources for processing into potable and general
used for drinking, cooking, washing, agricultural residential applications. Many communities in Ekiti
activities, power generation, and other industrial State, Nigeria rely on these sources for drinking since
processes, among other things. Water is life [1] and most government-provided potable water supplies are
life will cease to exist without it [2]. out of reach for many people.

The availability of good quality water for humans is a The Nigerian National Water Sanitation Policy [5]
necessary precondition for good quality life and long- defines rural water supply as a guaranteed minimum
term development. About three-quarters of the earth's level of service of 30 litres per capita per day within a
surface is covered by water with most of the water in 250-meter radius for the end-user, with each water
oceans, ice caps, underground aquifers, and water station servicing around 250 to 500 individuals in a
vapour. Contamination with pathogens and toxic community of 150 to 5,000 people. Domestic water is
chemicals and metals are responsible for the non- the water utilized by a household, and the amount
accessibility of potable water [3]. Only a few parts of consumed varies depending on the climate and the
water accessible to the man on the earth's surface were community's sophistication.
from rivers, streams, rain, and springs. Rainwater aids
 ASSESSMENT OF POTABLE WATER ACCESSIBILITY IN IKOLE-EKITI, NIGER… 1032

Safe water is defined by the World Health University Oye-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti Campus, in Ikole
Organization as water of acceptable quality in terms Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria.
of physical, chemical, and bacteriological criteria that
can be safely used for drinking and cooking, with no 2.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS
substantial health hazards occurring during the Ikole-Ekiti, the headquarter of Ikole Local
scheme's lifespan from storage to end-user [6]. Water Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria, is located
for cooking, personal cleansing, drinking, toilet between longitude 5° 31′ East and latitude 7° 47′
flushing, gardening, lawn sprinkling, car washing, and North. The Local Government covers an area of about
basic house cleaning are all examples of domestic use. 374,940 km2 and has a population of 168,436 people
Access to improved water sources is hampered in [13]. The Local Government is primarily a
areas where enhanced water sources are more than homogeneous society populated by Yoruba-speaking
1000 meters away from end-users. people from Nigeria's South West Zone.

Inaccessibility to safe water sources is one of the most Ikole LGA is located in the State's deciduous forest
fundamental problems that many African area, with an annual rainfall of roughly 1,778 mm
communities in rural areas face, as community between March and November. The land's excellent
participation in selecting and locating safe water drainage makes it ideal for agriculture. It is a regular
sources is typically very low [7]. In addition, poor occurrence for trees to drop their leaves every year
hygiene caused by a lack of appropriate home water during the dry season, which runs from November to
supply is directly linked to the occurrence of water- February. The two seasons, Dry Season (December–
borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid February) and Rainy Season (March–November) are
fever, and other diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral significantly different and vital to the people's
route have a severe influence on community members' agricultural interests. In 2011, the Federal
health [8]. The consumption of poor-quality water and Government of Nigeria established a campus of
lack of proper sanitation and hygiene are responsible Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria in Ikole-Ekiti,
for an estimated 1.7 million deaths annually in the which opened up the Igbona, Asin, and Otunja towns
world [3]; [9]. [3] and [10] reported that about 70 as the immediate communities surrounding the
million of Nigerians do not have access to safe University. The University staff and students settled
drinking water. majorly within these areas.

However, Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development The Igbona, Asin, and Otunja communities covered in
Goals ensures that everyone has access to safe this study were chosen because they accommodate
drinking water and sanitation by 2030. The number of more of the staff and students as the immediate
people who have a decent method of acquiring an environment of the University campus in Ikole-Ekiti.
acceptable amount of safe water for drinking, The study's respondents were randomly chosen and
washing, and other basic household activities, ensured that the respondents were represented fairly.
expressed as a percentage of the total population, is In each of the three communities, 40 households were
used to determine access to safe water. Many people purposively and randomly selected for the study,
are still dependent on unprotected water sources such giving a total of 120 households of which 1 respondent
as rivers, streams, unprotected springs, and per household were chosen.
unprotected hand-dug wells, many of which are found
where open field defecation is practiced [11]. It is The information sought from the respondent using the
critical to safeguard stored water against structured questionnaires combined with interview
contamination because no matter how carefully safe schedule covered parameter such as age, sex, marital
water is produced at the source, it will be useless if status, years of schooling, primary and secondary
contaminated afterward [12]. water supply and uses, processing experience,
diseases noticed with water use, and water treatment
Therefore, the objectives of this study are to examine methods used, sources of water for household
access to safe water supply, the water sources drinking, washing, and cultivation used were
available to end-users, diseases noticed as well as the collected. The data were collected through personal
treatment of this water in Nigeria communities using interviews using a standardized questionnaire because
some selected communities around the Federal some of the respondents cannot fill the questionnaires
themselves. The descriptive statistics were used to

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 1033 Oloye et al. (2022)

analyse the data collected using the Statistical 14.2% respectively. The people in the areas were
Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 16.0) for predominantly Christians.
analysis.
The literacy status of the respondents as shown in
3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 revealed that 14.2% had basic education,
The provision of good quality water is often regarded 42.5% had Secondary School Education, 9.2% had
as an important means of improving human and NCE/OND, and 19.2% had HND/BSC, and the
animal health [14]. Gradual reduction of water quality remaining 1.7 % MSC/MBA. Table 1 shows that
is caused by increase in animal and human activities respondent age distribution was between ≤ 30
[15]. However, the consumption of unsafe water is one (48.3%), 31-40 (30.8%), 41-50 (15.0%), 51-60
of the major causes of infectious diseases [16]. The (3.3%), and 60 and above (2.5%). The majority of the
assessment of potable water quality is needed to respondents fall between the age ranges of ≤ 30
determine the quality of water for domestic and (48.3%). The mean (average age) of respondents was
industrial purposes and uses, to prevent and reduce the 18.8 years which implies the majority of the
incidence of water borne diseases. The demographic respondent are young and agile. The respondents who
distribution of the households within the three towns stay in a private dwelling has more access to water,
chosen for this study and the percentage distribution while those on rented apartments use mostly the public
of the socio-economic characteristics of the borehole or well, and private bore-well or wells from
respondents from this research are as shown in Table their neighbours.
1.
3.1 WATER SOURCES, SUPPLY AND USES
Table 1: Percentage distribution of the socio- Water supply were broadly classified into primary and
economic characteristics of the respondents secondary sources. The primary source is from rain
Characteristics Frequency (N=120) Percentage while secondary sources included borehole, well,
Town river, stream, or pond. Figures 1 and 2 show the
Igbona 40 33.3
Asin 40 33.3 percentage distribution of water supply and uses from
Ootunja 40 33.3 the primary and secondary sources.
Total 120 100.0
Sex
Male 37 30.8
Female 83 69.2
Total 120 100
Religion
Christianity 75 62.5
Muslim 28 23.3
Traditional Worshippers 17 14.2
Total 120 100
Educational attainment
None 16 13.3
Primary 17 14.2 Figure 1: Distribution of primary water supply and
SSCE 51 42.5 its uses
NCE/OND 11 9.2
HND/B.Sc 23 19.2
M.Sc/MBA 2 1.7 Rainwater is used for drinking, washing and farming
Total 120 100 activities in the study area as shown in Figure 1.
Age group Drinking of rainwater alone accounted for 65.8%, but
<30 58 48.3
31-40 37 30.8 it is rarely used for farming activities.
41-50 18 15.0
51-60 4 3.3
60 and above 3 2.5
Total 120 100
Source: Field Survey 2021

Table 1 revealed that men accounted for 30.8% of all

the households while 69.2% were women, indicating
that women have higher access to water in all of the
localities where the survey was conducted. The Figure 2: Distribution of secondary water supply
Christians, Muslims and Traditional worshipers and its uses
within the towns accounted for 62.5%, 23.3% and

Nigerian Journal of Technology (NIJOTECH) Vol. 41, No. 6, November 2022

 ASSESSMENT OF POTABLE WATER ACCESSIBILITY IN IKOLE-EKITI, NIGER… 1034

The secondary source of water is used for washing to safe water sources and use water filters. The results
(45.0%), farming activities (31.7%), drinking and showed that households that rely on rainwater as their
washing (12.5%) and drinking alone (10.8%). Private primary source do not have access to safe water.
borehole or well water is used for drinking and Perennial sources provide at least a basic level of
washing, with none of the respondents utilizing it for domestic water supply throughout the year in the
cultivation. community.

Figures 3 and 4 show the percentage distribution of 4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATI-
diseases noticed with water use and the distribution of ONS
water treatment methods used in the study area. This study identified the water sources, water supply
and utilization by households in the three immediate
towns around the University campus in Ikole-Ekiti.
More households and inhabitants do not have access
to potable water from safe water sources and thus
prone to water borne diseases in the study area.
Rainwater as the primary source should be well treated
before use. Maintaining the functionality of rural
water sources, continuous monitoring of already
Figure 3: Distribution of Diseases noticed with the installed schemes and the increasing government
use of water in the study area investment in safe water sources are necessary to
ensure that Nigeria meets the Sustainable
Only 34.2% of the households did not experience any Development Goals on water.
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