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March 17, 2026Discover Public Health0 citationsOpen Access

Exploring demand and supply-side barriers to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services in urban slums in southeast Nigeria

UEUchenna EzenwakaUniversity of Nigeria IOIheomimichineke OjiakorUniversity of Nigeria COChinyere Okeke

Key Points

The study aims to identify demand and supply-side barriers to safe WASH services in urban slums in Nigeria.
Conducted in-depth interviews with 22 WASH stakeholders.
Held six focus group discussions with community members.
Analyzed qualitative data thematically using NVivo software.
Identified intrapersonal factors, like limited knowledge, as significant demand-side barriers.
Lack of demand creation and weak leadership hinder access to WASH services.
Inadequate collaboration and funding are critical supply-side obstacles.

Abstract

Optimal access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services remains a significant challenge in urban slums. Understanding the demand- and supply-side barriers to the provision of safe WASH facilities and the factors influencing access to these services will contribute to developing effective strategies for promoting such services and improving the health of slum dwellers. This paper provides new evidence on demand- and supply-side barriers to safe WASH services in urban slums in Nigeria. A qualitative study was undertaken in two urban slums in Okpoko, Ogbaru LGA, Anambra state, Southeast, Nigeria. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 WASH stakeholders, and six focus group discussions were held with community members. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software. Barriers to the adoption of safe WASH practices and services exist at multiple levels. On the demand-side, intrapersonal-level factors, such as limited knowledge, attitudes, and practices of safe WASH and its benefits, hinder access to WASH services. Additionally, interpersonal-level factors, including a lack of demand creation for WASH services, also pose a challenge. Conversely, supply-side factors that impede the provision of WASH infrastructure and services include community-level barriers, such as weak leadership and governance, institutional-level barriers, including inadequate multisectoral collaboration, inspection, and implementation of WASH regulations, and public policy-level barriers, such as insufficient funding and resource allocation at state and local government level. The study identifies a range of barriers affecting access to and provision of WASH services in urban slums, including individual, institutional, and policy-level constraints. To address these challenges, policy recommendations include integrating WASH education, strengthening multisectoral collaboration, enhancing institutional capacity, and increasing funding and resource allocation for WASH infrastructure.

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