Ahmad Elnafaty drilled five boreholes around his house in Kano over a four-year period. Not one yielded water for a week. Eventually, he gave up.

Like many households across the commercial city, Elnafaty’s family now buys water from local vendors. It’s a recurring monthly expense of 200,000 naira (US $125) that many Nigerian families have come to accept as normal.

"Terribly unlucky," Elnafaty tells TRT Afrika, alluding to his failed attempts to find underground water.

What he doesn’t say is the paradox of a country whose rivers swell whenever neighbouring Cameroon releases water from the Lagdo Dam, yet drinking water remains elusive for millions of citizens like him in the absence of a functional supply system.

The water crisis has given rise to a thriving underground economy. A 2021 survey by UNICEF and Nigeria’s federal ministry of water resources revealed that of the 2.31 million water supply points across the country, 75% were privately owned, and 43% of these were boreholes.

Crisis drills profits

The water scarcity in Africa’s most populous country sustains a vast network of borehole drillers, pumping machine sellers and repairers and sometimes forcing children to abstain from school.

"In Kano state, boreholes typically need to go 30 to 60 metres deep to reliably produce water, with some reaching up to 250 meters or more," driller Lamir Safiyanu Madugu tells TRT Afrika.  "The average depth of boreholes in the Basement Complex area is less than 20 metres, while the maximum rarely exceeds 60 metres."

Drilling costs about 1,050,000 naira ($658), excluding the price of gasoline for the water pump. During the dry season, when water levels drop sharply, Madugu drills five to ten boreholes a week.

Experts and several prominent Nigerians have repeatedly warned of the environmental cost of widespread drilling. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo fears a disaster is imminent, citing indiscriminate borehole drilling in his native city of Abeokuta in southwestern Nigeria recently.

Systemic failure

In addition to a federal ministry, Nigeria has separate water ministries for each of its 36 states and the capital city of Abuja, as well as state water corporations responsible for creating and maintaining piped public water systems.

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation said in May that the Nigerian government, in collaboration with some international agencies, including the African Development Bank, has executed a total of 565 water projects in two years, benefiting over 451,000 Nigerians.

Dr Zaharaddeen Garba, an associate professor of environmental chemistry at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, says more needs to be done and attributes the crisis to a combination of infrastructural inadequacy, poor maintenance and rapid urbanisation.

"The pipes are ageing, distribution systems are inefficient, and treatment capacity is insufficient," he tells TRT Afrika. "Another factor is urbanisation and population growth, putting immense pressure on existing water supply systems and leading to shortages and inconsistencies."

Climate change has compounded these issues. Sparse rainfall and increased evaporation lead to warmer temperatures, which in turn affect surface and groundwater availability.

Floodwater harvesting

Experts believe Nigeria can transform flood anxiety into water security.

"Implementing floodwater harvesting and storage systems is one way in which Nigeria can harness the potential of flood-prone water bodies to create sources of potable water," says Dr Garba.

"This involves constructing reservoirs, dams and other infrastructure to capture and store floodwaters, which can then be treated and distributed. Nigeria can also explore innovative technologies, such as floating water treatment plants or modular systems, to treat and utilise floodwaters."

By managing floodwaters proactively, Nigeria can turn a liability into a resource, thereby enhancing water security and supporting economic development. But this requires careful planning, infrastructure investment, and stakeholder collaboration.

"A multi-faceted approach is crucial in ensuring consistent water supply. The first approach should be investing in infrastructure upgrades and expansion, which include modernisation of treatment plants, pipes and distribution systems," explains Dr Garba.

The government also needs to improve state water board management through capacity building, technology adoption and transparency.

"The promotion of water conservation practices and demand management strategies can help in reducing waste and optimise usage," Dr Garba tells TRT Afrika.

Privatisation potential

Since telecom liberalisation in 1999 spurred economic growth, stakeholders have advocated privatisation as a panacea for other inefficient government-managed sectors.

But experts warn against treating this as a one-stop solution.

"It is true that privatisation of the telecom industry in Nigeria brought significant improvements in that sector. However, applying the same model to state water boards is not as straightforward as it may seem. This is a bit more complex," says Dr Garba.

He believes that privatisation of state water boards may introduce efficiencies, but affordability could be a stumbling block, particularly for low-income households.

Dr Garba suggests allowing private-sector participation in infrastructure development and service delivery, while public institutions should maintain oversight "to ensure equitable access and affordability”.

Consumers like Elnafaty, who already buy potable water from vendors or spend on fuel for pumps, possibly wouldn't mind paying for a more reliable system that guarantees constant supply.