Assessing the potential of low-cost drilling in meeting the MDGs for water supply in Nigeria

There has been some concern amongst sector practitioners that Nigeria may not meet the Millennium Development Goals for water supply. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (2008) rural water supply coverage in Nigeria decreased from 34 per cent in 1990 to 30 per cent in 2006 and urban drinking water supply declined from 80 per cent in 1990 to 65 per cent in 2006. Nigeria with an estimated population of over 140 million is the most populous nation in Africa and if Nigeria does not meet the MDGs it is unlikely that Sub-Saharan Africa will meet them. In order to be on track thousands of boreholes will need to be drilled in the country particularly in the rural areas. To achieve this, radically different approaches are needed that will incorporate a variety of solutions. Emphasis has to be placed on solutions that are affordable and which will allow households and communities to satisfy their need for potable water. In Nigeria, drilling rigs are being fabricated locally by small enterprises. Boreholes are also being drilled manually at a fraction of the cost of machine drilled holes. This research assesses the potential of locally fabricated rigs and hand drilling to contribute to meeting the MDG for water supply.