Clean water, sanitation & hygieneNigeria WASH Atlas
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RESEARCH & EVIDENCE

Nigeria’s water data.

A survey snapshot of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene across six geopolitical zones.

THE WATER GAP

Explore Nigeria’s
water landscape.

Water access differs sharply across the country. Switch indicators and select a zone or a state on the map to see the zone’s survey results.

NIGERIA WASH ATLAS2021 SURVEY
Map of NigeriaState outlines are coloured by their geopolitical zone’s survey result. Use the location menu for keyboard access. Cross River — South SouthFCT — North CentralOgun — South WestOyo — South WestSokoto — North WestZamfara — North WestLagos — South WestAkwa Ibom — South SouthBayelsa — South SouthOndo — South WestDelta — South SouthRivers — South SouthKwara — North CentralKogi — North CentralBenue — North CentralBorno — North EastKatsina — North WestPlateau — North CentralEdo — South SouthJigawa — North WestAnambra — South EastKano — North WestNasarawa — North CentralKebbi — North WestImo — South EastGombe — North EastAdamawa — North EastYobe — North EastAbia — South EastEkiti — South WestOsun — South WestBauchi — North EastNiger — North CentralKaduna — North WestEnugu — South EastTaraba — North EastEbonyi — South East
0–19%20–39%40–59%60–79%80–100%

NATIONAL ESTIMATE

Nigeria

67%

At least basic drinking water

People using an improved source within a 30-minute round trip, including queueing.

33% below this service threshold

National estimate: 67%

Source: WASHNORM 2021 (published 2022). Values are historical survey estimates. Selecting a state shows its zone’s result; the map does not imply state-level measurements or CWANI project locations. Boundaries: GRID3 via geoBoundaries (CC BY 4.0; simplified and projected).

View data table and methodology
WASHNORM 2021 · percentage of population, rounded as reported
GeographyAt least basic drinking waterSafely managed drinking waterAt least basic sanitationBasic hygiene
Nigeria67%13%46%17%
North West56%4%42%22%
North East66%2%51%12%
North Central58%6%38%11%
South West85%29%47%18%
South East73%17%57%13%
South South65%20%46%24%

The gap is calculated as 100 minus the displayed coverage estimate. It is the share below the selected threshold; it does not necessarily mean having no service. National values are published estimates, not averages of the six zones.

See WASHNORM 2021 executive summary p. 34 (basic water) and Figures 10, 23 and 28 (safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene). “At least basic” includes people who meet the higher safely managed threshold.

WHAT THE FIGURES MEAN

Access and safety are different.

In WASHNORM 2021, 86% of the urban population used at least basic drinking water services, compared with 57% in rural areas. Safely managed access was lower in both: 27% urban and 6% rural. That gap is why location, reliability and water quality matter alongside construction.

The 2022 sustainability check highlighted breakdowns, funding gaps for operation and maintenance, and water quality challenges. These findings inform CWANI’s emphasis on source protection, maintenance and household water security.

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