CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Nigeria has enormous quantity of water resources, surface and underground, that
requires a well-articulated administrative structure that can manage the resources
effectively. The present position of water supply in Nigeria is grossly inadequate. The
Federal, States and Local Governments have over the years been intervening from
time to time in terms of the provision of potable water to the people through the
Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), River Basin
Authorities, DFRRI, National Water Supply Rehabilitation Project, National Borehole
programme and of course, the present government ‘s Legislative Boreholes. Despite
these efforts, potable water supply is still poor and grossly inadequate. In reality,
the problem of water supply in Nigeria is enormous and can only be solved through
properly coordinated approach so as to overcome the problem.

According to Babatola (1997), Offodile (2003, 2006), Nwankwoala &Mmom

(2008), water supply lies at the heart of development whether it is urban or rural.
Water supply and development of any nation are continuing long-term process which
requires careful planning and implementation geared towards achieving improved
conditions of life. Consequently, there should be an overhaul/review of the existing
water policy or a new national water policy that would involve a comprehensive hydro
geological mapping of the country. The exercise must be based on known
groundwater and surface water sources (Mobogunje, 1975). According to Uwais,
(2004) man cannot survive longer without food than water. But because water is
freely available through rainfall, man has until fairly recently, taken these unique
resources for granted.

Although more than 70% of the earth surface is water, water has become a
scarce commodity in many parts of the world. The threat of a world water crisis
becoming increasingly real in the face of increase demand, relatively statistic supply
and deteriorating quality due to over exploitation. It is universally accepted that an
adequate supply of water for drinking, personal hygiene and other domestic purposes
is essential to public health and wellbeing. It is well known fact that large number of
people in Nigeria mostly those in rural area lack safe portable drinking water, in
about 90% of the rural communities in Nigeria are lacking portable for their domestic
activities. (uwais, 2004).

As stakeholders in water and sanitation business converged on the Hague,

Netherland on march 22nd to mark the 2013 edition of the world water day, the
authorities at Cross river state State ministry of water resources dedicate the day to
takes stocks of its achievement and to marshal out ways of improving on it effort of
tackling the challenges of supplying portable water to the 3.7 million people spread
across the 18 Local Government Area of the state.
 The ministry also embarks on other semi-urban water supply schemes in the
state and introducing mini water scheme in Ugep, Ikom, Ogoja, and Obudu. It
produces Surface Water along Rivers and several borehole rigs for drilling of borehole
in communities and trains some of it staff on water related issues both locally and
abroad. The state has also channel several water supply pipeline and distributed
some to the 18 Local Government Areas for distribution of water to communities
known to be facing water shortages which has aimed to reduce the problem of water
scarcity in these communities.

At the global scene, there has been continuing efforts in respect of sustainable
management of water resources. The Earth Summit, the World Water Commission,
the World Water Forum as well as other water related projects of Global Water
Partnership, such as World Bank, WHO, UNESCO, FAO, UNICEF and UNDP, have been
at the forefront in the timely efforts of water resources management, especially in
the provision of safe drinking water and basic sanitation which is within the
frameworks of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the
early 1950s, government ‘s has attempted to develop groundwater by exploring the
ground water potentials across the country. This led to construction of hand dug
shallow wells especially in rural areas. The Nigerian government’s major intervention
in water resources development came during the first National Development Plan
(1962 – 1968) which saw the establishment of the River Niger and Lake Chad Basin
Commissions. In 1973 and 1974, the Sokoto-Rima and Chad Basin Authorities were
established. In 1976, the river basin authorities were increased to eleven (11) to
cover the whole country. But, before then in 1975, the Federal Ministry of Water
Resources (FMWR) was created. Following the creation of the ministry, extensive
water resources development (both surface and groundwater) was embarked upon
to boost economic activities such as irrigation, fisheries as well as hydropower
generation. More importantly, all these giant strides were aimed at improving water
supply delivery in line with the United Nation‘s International Drinking Water Supply
and Sanitation Decade (IDWSSD, 1981 – 1990). Beside these noble efforts, the
Federal Government embarked upon other numerous intervention programs in the
water sector, including the National Borehole Project (1980), Department of Food,
Roads, and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) in 1986 -1994, The Petroleum (Special)
Trust Fund (PTF) Rural Water Supply Project (1995-1999), Improved National Access
to Water Supply (1999) and lastly the Senate Constituency Water Projects (2001 to
date) (Nwankwoala, 2010).

Drinking water or potable water is water safe enough to be consumed by

humans or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed
countries, the tap water supplied to households, commerce and industry meets the
water quality standards to qualify as potable, even though only a very small
proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Typical uses other than
drinking and cooking include washing, toilet flushing, and irrigation (USEPA,2010).

Due to high level of poverty in Nigeria, safe portable drinking water is a scarce
resource especially in rural areas. It is against this background that this study seeks
to assess the accessibility of portable water In Calabar municipal local thought it is
an urban region of the state cross river state.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Over 90% of deaths from diarrheal diseases in the developing world today
occur in children under 5 years old (Salman 2004). Malnutrition, especially protein-
energy malnutrition, can decrease the children's resistance to infections, including
water-related diarrheal diseases. From 2000-2003, 769,000 children under five years
old in sub-Saharan Africa died each year from diarrheal diseases. As a result of only
thirty-six percent of the population in the sub-Saharan region have access to proper
means of sanitation. More than 2000 children's lives are lost every day. In South
Asia, 683,000 children under five years old died each year from diarrheal disease
from 2000-2003. During the same time period, in developed countries, 700 children
under five years old died from diarrheal disease. Safe drinking water is therefore a
prerequisite for good health. (USEPE2010).

Therefore, improved portable water supply reduces the frequency of water

related illness and deaths, especially in Calabar municipal local government area.
Therefore, it is essential to find out;

1. What is the source of water supply in Calabar municipal Local Government?

2. Are these sources of water supply safe for drinking and other domestic uses?

3. Was there any effort made by Cross River State and Calabar municipal local
Government council in improving water supply in the study area?

These form the research Question that will be pursued in this study.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this research is to assess the government effort in the provision of
portable water supply in Calabar municipal local government area of cross river state.
This can be achieved through the following specific objectives.

1) To identify source of water supply in cross river local Government.

2) To identify the origin of water supply facilities.

3) To examine the functionality of water supply facilities.

4) To identify the ease with which people access these sources.

5) To find out who is responsible for maintaining water sources.

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

HO; There is no any effort made by Government in providing portable water supply
in Calabar municipal Local Government.
H1; There are a lot of effort made by Government in providing portable water supply
in Calabar municipal Local Government.

1.5 SCOPE OF STUDY

The study focuses on the assessment of government effort on the provision of

portable water supply with reference to Calabar municipal Local Government in Cross
River state. Also studying the effort of the provision of safe portable drinking water,
it focused on the source of the which the water (e.g.) groundwaters, surface
freshwater.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Since the study is designed to investigate the use of the government effort on
the provision of portable water supply in Calabar municipal Local Government, the
researcher expects that the findings will be of immense benefit to health agencies,
scientist, and the government. The study would also be useful to curriculum
developers in Geology, and policy decision-makers.

To students, this would be beneficial because it is based on the provision of

portable water supply. Ideally, there will be improved access to information.

Again, it could be beneficial to the Government to reshape their water policies

concerning the provision of portable water supply in other to improve access to the
portable drinking water. The Government would also benefit from cutting down on
recurrent expenditure through the organization. It would also serve as a reference
point for other researchers who would like to carry out further investigations in the
chosen area.

1.7 THE STUDY AREA

1.7.1 LOCATION

Calabar Municipality lies between latitude 04° 15' and 5° N and longitude 8°
25' E. in the North, the Municipality is bounded by Odukpani Local Government Area
in the North-East by the great Kwa River. Its Southern shores are bounded by the
Calabar river and Calabar South Local Government Area.
MAP: Map of cross river state showing Calabar municipal local government area.

SOURCE: Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org)

 1.7.2 POPULATION

The population of Calabar municipal Local Government is 279,800 according

to the annual population estimate by National Bureau of Statistics (2022).

1.7.3 GEOLOGY

The Calabar Flank is a basin at right angle to the major rift of the Benue trough.
It contains over 3,000m of Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. The sedimentary sequence
is dominated by Cretaceous shallow-water clastic, carbonates, shales and
sandstones.

1.7.4 CLIMATE

Under Köppen's climate classification, Calabar features a tropical monsoon

climate (Köppen: Am) amidst a lengthy wet season spanning ten months and a short
dry season covering the remaining two months. The harmattan, which significantly
influences weather in West Africa, is noticeably less pronounced in the city.
Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with average high
temperatures usually ranging from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. There is also little
variance between daytime and night-time temperature, as temperatures at night are
typically only a few degrees lower than the daytime high temperature. Calabar
averages just over 3,000 millimetres (120 in) of precipitation annually.

1.7.5 SOIL AND VEGETATION

The most predominant soil type is the Deep laterite fertile Dark, clay, basalt
Sandy, heavily leached. also, as a sub-Sahara is a region Mangrove Swamps Rain
Forest Derived Savannah Parkland.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS