The Right to Water and Sanitation in Rural Communities of Niger State

This study examines the realization of the human right to water and sanitation in rural communities of Niger State, North Central Nigeria, against the normative standards established by UN General Assembly Resolution 64/292 (2010) and the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation services remains critically low in Niger State's rural areas, contributing to preventable disease burdens and disproportionate hardship for women and children who bear primary responsibility for water collection. The research employs a mixed-methods design, combining household surveys in Rafi, Shiroro, and Agaie local government areas with interviews conducted with officials from the Niger State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and development partners including UNICEF and WaterAid Nigeria. Data are analyzed in relation to the four normative elements of the right to water: availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality. Findings reveal that less than 40 percent of households in surveyed communities have access to piped or borehole water within 30 minutes of walking distance, and open defecation rates remain alarmingly high. The study attributes these gaps to chronic budgetary underinvestment, infrastructure decay, and weak community water governance. Policy recommendations include increased federal and state water sector budgets, revitalization of existing boreholes, and the institutionalization of community water management committees. Keywords: right to water, sanitation, Niger State, rural communities, human rights.