HOUSEHOLD DRINKING WATER ACCESS AND SERVICE LEVELS IN ABEOKUTA NORTH AND ABEOKUTA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Household drinking water access remains a major public health and sustainable development challenge in many peri-urban communities in Nigeria despite increasing reliance on improved water sources. Assessing drinking water service levels using the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund (WHO/UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) framework provides standardized evidence for monitoring progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. This study assessed household drinking water access and service levels in Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South Local Government Areas of Ogun State, Nigeria, and examined the association between socio-demographic characteristics, household water access factors, and drinking water service levels. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 households selected from Abeokuta North (n = 60) and Abeokuta South (n = 60). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire based on the WHO/UNICEF JMP core household drinking water indicators. Drinking water service levels were classified as basic, limited, or unimproved according to the JMP drinking water service ladder. Descriptive statistics summarized household characteristics, while Pearson's Chi-square test was used to examine associations between selected variables and drinking water service levels at a significance level of p < 0.05. Boreholes constituted the predominant household drinking water source, accounting for 58.3% of households, followed by hand-dug wells (41.7%). Overall, 55.0% of households had access to basic drinking-water services, 41.7% relied on unimproved drinking-water services, and 3.3% had limited drinking-water services. Household water source was significantly associated with drinking-water service level (χ² = 120.00, df = 2, p < 0.001), while socio-demographic characteristics, including sex, education, occupation, income, household size and Local Government Area, showed no statistically significant associations (p > 0.05). Household drinking water services in Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South remain characterized by substantial reliance on groundwater sources and persistent inequalities in service levels. Improving access to protected water sources, strengthening groundwater management, and institutionalizing routine monitoring using the WHO/UNICEF JMP framework are essential for enhancing drinking water sustainability and accelerating progress towards SDG 6 in peri-urban communities.