ASSESSMENT OF THE CAUSES OF WATER SCARCITY IN MINNA METROPOLITAN AREA OF NIGER, STATE: A NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The reasons for water scarcity in any given environment are numerous, and the only way to regulate the excesses of water scarcity is to identify the underlining cause of water scarcity in the society. As a result, the purpose of this research is to investigate the causes of water scarcity in the Minna metropolitan region. Using Taro Yamane’s (1967) formula, the study employs random sampling to distribute 400 questionnaires to the chosen respondents. From the eleven factors assessed using factor analysis, five primary causes of water scarcity were extracted. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and the inferential statistics were evaluated using the Chi-square test. The study results show that inadequate resources to provide adequate water supply (P-value = .000), inadequate pumping infrastructures (P-value = .000), increasing population (P-value =.000), inaccessibility of the area due to lack of road infrastructures (P-value = .000) and inadequate water distribution tanker (p-value = .000) were statistically significant at 0.05 confidence level. In conclusion, a sustainable water supply is essential to address Minna's water scarcity issues. The research recommends, among other that the Niger state government do all possible to provide appropriate funding for water abstraction infrastructure and other elements that support water distribution in Minn