The Impact of Clean water to Residents of Maiduguri

By Alheri Gideon Mshelia

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, is a region that has experienced rapid population growth due to internal displacement caused by conflict and also the flood that occured. As a result, access to clean and sufficient water has become a critical issue that deeply affects the lives of its residents.Access to clean water helps prevent the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and diarrhea.

In urban and semi-urban areas of Maiduguri, boreholes, public taps, and NGO-provided water facilities have improved hygiene and sanitation, especially in IDP camps where overcrowding makes sanitation difficult, which the government has to see through.

Availability of water encourages handwashing, bathing, and clean food preparation—all essential for maintaining health.But when residents have to buy water and the water is not even clean they tend to.manage it causing them to barely use it for important things like washing fruits or their hands.

Water is essential for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing clothes and utensils. When there is scarsity of water or dirty water its hard to cope with living especially around Mairi Bama road the water there is not clean and its hard to find making the residents buy from a far distance or another area and you will see children play with dirty water which will cause a lot of harm to them.some people boil the water before using it that method is good but its not safe.

When clean water is not available, residents are forced to use contaminated sources like open wells, ponds, or rivers and with the recent case of flood the water in such places are exposed and harmful when consumed.

Clean water is very important in all aspect especially health when we don't take water the rate of kidney disease is high in Maiduguri and the water available is dirty which can cause more harm than kidney disease. Some areas the residents destroyed the taps and boreholes built for them while others the taps dont run water again causing scarcity of water.

How can our waters be clean when the public wells are always open and different people come with their different water fetcher some are not even washed before putting inside the well others are kept in the homes on the ground and children play with it so when everyone comes with his/her water fetcher the water will never be clean and when people drink it it becomes a problem for them.

Water is a fundamental human need, and in Maiduguri, it plays a critical role in health, economic development, and social stability. While some progress has been made in improving water access through government and NGO interventions, many residents still face daily challenges related to water scarcity and quality. Addressing water issues in Maiduguri is essential for improving the quality of life, preventing disease, and ensuring long-term peace and development in the region.