An assessment of self-help water supply in Akure, Nigeria

Water is essential for human survival, and access to potable public water supply is crucial for household health. The prevalence of self-help water supply in Akure means that residents seek for water from untreated and unsafe sources. This paper argues that the absence of water supply from public water-supply infrastructure in the city is undesirable. We draw on information provided by focus groups representing five communities in the city. The findings revealed a wide array of self-help provision of water supply in the study area. We recommend the revivification of the dilapidated water-supply infrastructure in the study area.