Assessing the performance of state water utilities in Nigeria: towards achieving the sustainable development goal on drinking water

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on drinking water were reported to have been achieved five years earlier than the target date of 2015 in all the continents, except Africa and Oceania. This study assessed the performance of selected state water utilities in Nigeria in Africa over a period of years to determine improvements, if any, in their service coverage and demand gap in meeting the ambitious SDG target 6.1, which aims to achieve sustainable drinking water for all by 2030. Employing the key performance indicator (KPI) methodology, encompassing operational and maintenance efficiency, investment efficiency, and financial sustainability, this research unveils a widening disparity between water supply and demand gap. Alarming is the revelation that the revenue from water sales falls short of covering operation and maintenance costs, rendering these utilities financially unsustainable. This underperformance of state water utilities signals a formidable barrier to Nigeria’s prospects of attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.1, thereby jeopardizing the nation’s ability to ensure universal and affordable access to safe drinking water by 2030.