Realising the Right to Water and Sanitation in Nigeria

Recognition of the right to water and sanitation is an important and global issue. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights explains the obligations of States in realising this right in its General Comment No. 15.

This book investigates how this right can be realised from the context of Nigeria and other States in similar circumstances. Recognising that water is needed by both human beings and other living things, the author approaches the right to water from both a human rights and an environmental perspective. He analyses Nigeria’s laws, policies and practices and assesses their compatibility with the relevant international legal obligations. Through empirical data, the factors contributing to water and sanitation problems and the extent of Nigerians’ awareness of the existence of the right are examined. Legal interpretation, human rights-based and ecosystem approaches demonstrate how the right can be realised in Nigeria.