URBAN DRAINAGE MANAGEMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN

OFFA, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

by IBRAHIM, Halimat Olamide

Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract
The bad drainage system and poor maintenance of the drainage system has become a great threat to the
environment aesthetics and pose danger to the environmental health of the people in Offa Local
Government Area. The poor maintenance of the drainage system resulted to various water borne diseases
and relating air borne disease. This project attempts to assess the drainage management system in Offa
Local Government Area, Kwara State. It utilized a structured questionnaire, field observation and oral
interview for this purpose. This project concludes that there is poor maintenance of drainage system in
the area and lack of community participation towards drainage management contributes to its
inefficiency. This project therefore, makes necessary recommendations and further suggestions in respect
to sustainable urban drainage management system.

Keywords: Urban Drainage, Environmental Health, Offa

Explanatory Note: This project is extracted from my National Diploma programme done 2018,
supervised by ARC. Adama who is the present Deputy Rector Academics of the Federal Polytechnic
Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

1. Introduction would collapse resulting in serious environmental

Drainage is the process of removing and
controlling excess surface and sub-surface water
within the right way. This includes interception and
diversion of water from the road surface and sub-
grade. The installation of suitable surface and sub-
surface drainage system is an essential part of
highway design and construction. Highway
drainage is used to clear surface water from the
highway. Good highway drainage is important for
road safety. Roads need to be well drained to stop
flooding; even surface water can cause problems
with ice in the winter (Amit, 2016).
Presently, about 2.6 billion people are
living without proper drainage, of which Africa is
not exempted (Olukanni, 2013a; WHO/UNICEF,
2012). The need to provide proper drainage
facilities is essential to match up with the ever
increasing population growth (Banerjee and
Morella, 2011). The increase in the population of a
settlement and the attendant growth of the needs of
the residents in both quantity and variety, bring
about intensive exploitation of the resources of the
environment. Such exploitation might increase to a
level that the resources would not be able to sustain
the population, and in some cases the environment
problems (Asoegwu, 2009). This is further
buttressed by Belete (2011) who expressed that
high urban population growth rate also results in
drainage system challenges because an increase in
population requires a proportionate increase in
infrastructure (roads and drainage systems) of
which when not properly catered for, the facilities
will be imperfect.
Urban environments in Nigeria are faced
with myriad of issues regarding poor drainage
systems (Offiong et al., 2009) and water tight
structures which are the major causes of flooding
(Belete, 2011). Urban flooding which is the
inundation of land or property in a built
environment, particularly in more crowded areas
are caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of
drainage systems. Urban flooding is a condition
characterized by its repetitive and systemic impacts
on communities whether or not the affected
communities are located within floodplains or near
any body of water (CNT, 2013). Sule (2001)
described Lagos, Calabar and Ibadan as cities
where houses are constructed directly on drain
channels and that this practice has resulted to

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blockage of storm drains and consequently leading
to overflow and flooding of the streets.
Proper surface and subsurface drainage to
remove excess water in a safe and timely manner
plays an important role in controlling water related
diseases. Careful control and appropriate reuse of
drainage water can help protect the environment
and optimize water resources. People who live in
poverty are those exposed to the worst
environmental and health risks. Overall, somewhere
between 25% and 33% of the global burden of
disease can be attributed to environmental factors.
This proportion is larger in conditions of poverty,
where more environmental hazards are present in
the nearby living and working environment, and
people have less capacity to protect themselves
against exposure and effects of harmful or
unpleasant pollutants.
Environmental health comprises those
aspects of human health, including quality of life,
that are determined by physical, biological, social,
and psychosocial factors in the environment. It also
refers to the theory and practice of assessing,
correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors
in the environment that can potentially affect
adversely the health of present and future
generations. Environmental health addresses all the
physical, chemical, and biological factors external
to a person, and all the related factors impacting
behaviors. It encompasses the assessment and
control of those environmental factors that can
potentially affect health. It is targeted towards
preventing disease and creating health-supportive
environments.
Poor drainage systems in Offa have caused
tremendous environmental challenges. These
challenges are basically associated with poor
maintenance of drainage system and flood which
eventually leads to environmental hazards. Some
places were flooded, making the roads practically
impassable for motorists. Therefore, this study
seeks to highlight the causes and environmental
implications of bad drainage systems in the areas
under study, highlights measures to improve health
and living condition of the people in the town.
Statement of problem
Improper drainage can be defined as having
drains with poor maintenance or passageway or
circulation. This can include situations such as
drain blockage, or drain which leads any substance
to the environment, or drain which circulates within
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an area only. In the case of Offa, one of many
scenarios that occur is in restaurants where oily
substances are being thrown down the sink which
leads to the drainage system. In most restaurants in
Offa, it can be seen that most of their drains
contains oily substances; usually from leftover
foods being thrown. Oil does mix with water, and
after sometimes it can solidify and this can cause
blockage to the drain system. This leads to presence
of stinky smells, mosquitoes, or even rats and
cockroaches; where it can lead to spread of
diseases. However the attitudes of the public could
make the drainage system not work properly. In
some situation, stone or dry leaves or rubbish may
block the drain system. In other cases, oily
substances being thrown into the drain can solidify
and also play an act in drain blockage.
In the study area, there is a close link
between the presence of excess water (due to lack
of adequate drainage) and the transmission of water
borne diseases. Misuse and lack of maintenance are
the two main reasons why drainage systems are
associated with environmental health problems.
Areas (in the study area) where drainage and
sanitation are poor, water runs over the ground
during rainstorms, picks up faeces and
contaminates water sources. This contributes
significantly to the spread of diseases such as
typhoid and cholera, and may increase the
likelihood of contracting worm infections from soil
contaminated by faeces. Flooding itself may
displace pollutions and lead to further health
problems.
2. Study Area
Offa is a city located in Kwara State,
North-Central Nigeria on latitudes 8o12’N-8o70’N
and longitudes 4o40’E-4o70’E with a population of
about 150,000 inhabitants. Offa is centrally located
in the midst and middle of many neighboring towns
like Erin Ile in the south, Ijagbo in the north, Igosun
and Ipee in the east and Ilemona, Irra, Ikotun and
Ojoku in the west.
Offa has two main seasons; the wet season
(from March to October) and the dry season (from
November to February). Each of these seasons is
characterized by a specific type of prevailing wind:
the Northeast wind and the Southwest wind
respectively. Offa is located on the western
highlands of Nigeria at an altitude of about 600m
above the sea level which gives its relatively cool
weather condition throughout the year. Offa has an
annual rainfall of 1000m and a humidity that ranges
between 65% and 80% in the dry and rainy seasons
respectively.
3. Research Methodology
Research design is the overall strategy that
is use to integrate the different components of the
study in a coherent and logical way. It constitutes
the blueprint for the collection, measurement and
analysis. For the course of this research, Survey
research design was used.
i. Sampling Size and Sample Procedure
The sample technique used in this research
work is the simple random sampling technique
which is pick at randomly and without biased in
selecting 10% from the total population of the
research study.
Sample size is the target population that is
the accessible population. it was achieved using
simple random sample by selecting percentage
from the total population. Those sampled were the
inhabitants (i.e both residents and non – residents of
the study) and also seek information from medical
personel.
In the study area, there twelve (12) political
wards which are; Balogun ward, Igboidun ward,
Essa central A ward, Essa central B ward, Essa
central C ward, Ojomu Central A ward, Ojomu
Central B ward, Ojomu north-west ward, Ojomu
south-east ward, Shawo Central ward, Shawo
south-west ward and Shawo south-east ward.
The total projected population of all the
wards according to the 2017 projection is 137,000.
For the purpose of this course, the 2017 projected
population was projected to 2018 with total
population of 140,634 inhabitants in order to get
Sample size.
The population projection formula to use is Pt= Pn
(1 + r /100)n
Where Pt = projected population
Pn = initial population
r =growth rate
n =number of years
ii. Data Types and Sources
Data obtained this research were both
primary data and secondary data. Primary data was
obtained through Questionnaire administration,
Field observation and Oral interview while
Secondary data was obtained from Internet search,
Journals, Textbooks etc.

Table 1: List of the Political Wards and their population

S/N Wards and Growth 2017 Projected Projected to No of Questionnaires
Rate used Population 2018 Administered
1 BALOGUN (2.7) 12,786 13,131 13
2 ESSA CENTRAL A 10,394 10,664 11
(2.6)
3 ESSA CENTRAL B 10,161J 10,425 10
(2.6)
4 ESSA CENTRAL C 11,581 11,882 12
(2.6)
5 IGBOIDUN (2.7) 9024 9268 9
6 OJOMU CENTRAL 9725 9978 10
A (2.6)
7 OJOMU CENTRAL 9595 9845 10
B (2.6)
8 OJOMU NORTH- 14,642 15,037 15
WEST (2.7)
9 OJOMU SOUTTH- 14,283 14,669 15
EAST(2.7)
10 SHAWO CENTRAL 11,616 11,918 12
(2.6)
11 SHAWO SOUTH- 10,777 11,068 11
EAST (2.7)
12 SHAWO SOUTH- 12,416 12,751 13

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 WEST (2.7)
TOTAL 137,000
Source: Field Survey (2018)
Fig 1: Map of the study area
4. Summary of Finding
From the questionnaire administered to the
respondents and field observation, I was able to
identify the following;
A. Excess Sediments and Garbage
After each occurrence of raining, wastes
are dumped in drainage channels. Theses drainage
channels remains unattended to and thereby get
clogged. This causes blockage of channels for the
subsequent runoffs and other contents. Also as this
blockage exists, the road pavement attached to
these drains is also under threat. Water builds up on
the pavement (flood) thereby causing a wear and
tear, with washing of bitumen and other road
components into drains thereby causing further
damage and leading to drain failures.
B. Effect of Poor Maintenance
The construction of drainages will be a waste
when not properly maintained. The performance of
a drain is attributed not only to how effective it is
utilized, but also to the conditions therein. These
conditions include the presence of waste, the
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140,634 141
presence of growing plants and leakages. These
challenges do not only retard flow in the drain, but
they also increase overflow conditions. It was clear
that the drainage challenges within these areas were
as a result of poor maintenance of the drains
themselves. This has created habitats for growing
weeds and stagnation of water.
C. Lack of Community Participation
One of the main obstructions preventing
the successful control of water runoff measures
either by structural or non-structural measures is the
absence of community participation in providing
solutions to urban drainage problems. Community
participation simply depends on the desire and
ability to organize themselves, strict compliance to
societal goals and rules, and providing medium of
direct communication by the appropriate municipal
administration. This provides linkages in which
municipal authorities can pass useful information to
residents, and vice versa. It can also develop into
participatory function where well-defined priorities
that pertain to urban drainage can be evaluated. As
a result of compliance, the level of technical
information as well as environmental education
increases. The absence of community participation
gives room for repetition of earlier errors in
tackling drainage problems and also low
investments in urban facilities
Poor people living in areas with run-down
public services inherently pay little attention to
public utilities. It is no news anymore as people
regard urban drainages as the place to dispose
garbage. The establishment of garbage collection
system may not bring change if other public
services such as efficient and effective delivery of
municipal waste to disposal areas do not exist.
However, environmental education
programmes are necessary but not adequate in
eradicating urban drainage problems. In the study,
the introduction of “Environmental Sanitation Day”
which takes place every last Saturday of the month,
adopts a systematic cleanup of urban waterways by
residents thereby freeing drainages from subsequent
blockage. With this participation, the problems of
garbage and sediments in drainage channels
remains, placing doubts on the effectiveness of
such measures, at least in the short term. There is
no objective measure to increase the effectiveness
of such a programme, yet it cannot be abandoned.
The efficacy in the long term would be on the
increase when today’s children become adults
tomorrow and are adequately taught how to
participate in environmental preservation.
D. Health Impacts
Areas experiencing poor drainages like the areas
under study allow runoff from these areas to have
an interaction with black water from exposed or
overflowing septic tank systems causing outbreak
of water-borne related diseases such as typhoid,
dysentery etc and also, infiltration and percolation
of this polluted water into the ground water will
cause contamination. This is a conduit for gastro-
intestinal diseases such as constipation, anal
disorders, and structural disorders amongst others.
E. Drainage Designs Problems
Urban drainage system issues are also generated by
improper design of these systems. This is attributed
to the variance created in rainfall distribution
patterns. Most of these drainages were designed
with basic hydraulic formula without considering
this variance thereby ending up not solving flood
cases in these areas. More emphasis has to be made
to producing home-grown methods that are related
to these areas rather than depending on this formula
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or assumptions already in use in the developing
countries because we have different catchment
characteristics. Also, roof catchment methods of
rain water collection should be encouraged to
reduce peak flows of runoff that should have
entered this drainage. There is so much reliance on
hydrological data in determining the drainage
challenges. Vital information and proper data
collection such as water quality of runoff and
sediments transport should not be neglected. This
could improve the design and sustainability of these
drainage channels.
5. Conclusion
This research work was aimed at
ascertaining the effect of urban drainage
management on environmental health, verifying the
impact of people’s attitudes towards maintaining a
clean environment and to find out the impact of
monitoring and control on the management of
drainage in Offa.
The study discovered that ineffectiveness of the
agencies managing drainage system affects its
efficiency to the extent that community’s effort is
also ineffective in respect to drainage management.
Findings showed that resident’s attitudes make it
difficult for the agencies to perform effectively.
The attitude is the indiscriminate disposal of wastes
in the drainage system which has negative impact
on the environment and the health of the people.
Public education campaigns should be developed to
encourage public participation of sustainable
drainage management. This should be supported
with stringent policies and enforcement of
sanitation and laws to facilitate it.
Drainage management should be combined with
waste management options to stop environmental
decay. The public should be enlightened on the
wealth inherent in their organic and inorganic
wastes. The government should encourage the
advancement and acceptance of appropriate
technologies for the conversion of organic waste to
compost and support its markets for its function as
soil conditioners.
All these can be accomplished through the
encouragement of economical, resourceful and
environmentally safe practices in managing
drainage system.
6. Recommendation
There are many factors that are needed for
management of drainage to be successful. The two
most important ones are strong political will on the
behalf of the Government and strong involvement
on the part of the community. There must also be a
sense of partnership among all parties. There must
be incentives of agencies to work with the
communication and coordination among the
community.
Therefore, this research recommends that,
 Public awareness campaign should be
introduced to educate the public on
drainage management.
 Public awareness and attitudes to wastes
can affect the population’s willingness to
participate and cooperate in adequate
waste management practices.
 Policy should be made so as to eradicate
dumping of waste in drainages.
 Government should provide enough
dumping containers to the nearest bus
stops
 Proper cleaning of channels should be
done on a regular basis and not only on
sanitation days to reduce the habitation of
pathogens responsible for these diseases.
Also, more refuse dumps (collection
points) be provided in this areas
understudy and be visited by the agencies
responsible on a regular basis to help
reduce epidemics.
In addition, many comprehensive urban
drainage simulation models can be utilized to
identify deficiencies, assessing alternatives to avoid
sewer overflows, reduce risks to public health and
to protect the environment from water pollution.
Multi-objective optimization will provides more
rational and practical solutions compared to single-
objective optimization problems. With the
particular design and right combination of
sustainable urban drainage system techniques, and
support and cooperation from a wide range of
public and private organizations involved in urban
development, the sustainable urban drainage
systems will operate holistically.
Community participation in terms of
sanitation provides members of the community the
opportunity to contribute in the policy and decision
making process. In its contribution, the place of
planning, implementation, monitoring and
maintenance of drainage channels should be given
its rightful place as regards to sustainability.
Participation in its approach is seen as a means of
ensuring augmented social accountability with the
involvement of the citizens in decision making as
well as creating a close relationship between the
“governed” and the “governing”. This could be
achieved through public hearing, workshops, social
surveys, reports, public meetings etc. This helps in
development of local capabilities which its
importance cannot be over emphasized.
Conclusively, the activities should be
encourage, because it is all about cleaning our
environment and also contribute to the development
of town and leads to an improve health.

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