Demand for Public Water in Lagos, Nigeria: Study of Patterns and Factors with implications for Sustainable Development

The growing urban population in developing countries has worsened the concerns surrounding issues on equal water availability and sustainable management. This study investigates household water demand patterns in Lagos, Nigeria, focusing on the socio-economic and spatial inequalities that influence water usage. Using survey data from 294 households, the study adopted Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the spatial analysis and Factorial ANOVA to look into the impact of socio-economic characteristics, namely income, gender, education, and occupation, on volumetric water consumption. The spatial analysis covered the mapping of the minimum, maximum and average water demand while also showcasing the demand patterns for public and private water sources. The results from the spatial analysis showed significant differences in water demand between the metropolitan areas and the peri-urban areas. Also, urban areas had increasing public water demand due to improved municipal infrastructure, whilst peri-urban areas depended heavily on private water sources such as boreholes and private vendors. The results showed that income levels had a significant influence on water use. Higher-income households consumed more, while demand of lower-income households is limited since it relies on irregular and costly informal water sources. Gender and age showed minor impacts on differences in volumetric demand, with female-headed households having a modest preference for public water systems over private sources. The study recommends a reduction in reliance on boreholes in peri-urban regions in order to avoid groundwater depletion and environmental degradation. This research adds to the worldwide efforts towards attaining Sustainable Development Goal 6.