Water is life because humans need water to survive, to stay healthy and go about their daily activities. Water is essential for both humans and livestock. Water property should be colourless, odourless and tasteless, anything short of this is not safe for drinking.

Though water is life, not all water is life. This is because not all water is safe for consumption and domestic use - Instead we say, clean water is life.

Everyone has a right to clean water and sanitation. The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and sufficient water.

Nigeria is so rich in water resources as there are many rivers in nearly every part of the country compared to other African countries. Nigeria has 215 cubic kilometers in year of available surface water yet, water is scarcely harnessed and distributed evenly amongst its people.

Many Nigerians in the rural communities are affected by the burden of unsafe and unclean water. 19% of Nigeria's population has access to safe drinking water, most of which are rich and are settled in urban places while majority of Nigerians compare water as gold.

Water supply should be in adequate supply for every home here in Nigeria. According to WHO World health organization, a person should have between 50 and 100 litres of water per day. This is impossible here in the country as water stored at home, due to being expensive and the far distance to fetch it, individuals use water in rations. Children can't take enough to school, they end up dehydrated and sick.

Most times people living in rural areas awaits rainfall and store rainwater for future use. To some extent, people fight over who to fetch the rainwater first from artificial water collectors built around the roof of their houses. These artificial water collectors are built by the landlords/ landlady of the house for their tenants. 

Underground water channels are also created to get water used for bathing while the stored rainwater is used for cooking. This water is polluted as plastic waste, sewages and debris flows into the dug pit meanwhile contaminated water is the cause of diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid and dysentery. According to statistics, over 1.5 million children below 5 years die every year as a result of water and sanitation diseases.

With high rate of water services in semi urban areas, most residence cannot afford to pay for these services here in Nigeria. At the end of the month, the water rate gets accumulated and its impossible to subscribe, this leads them into digging up wells in their houses. These wells are artificial sources of water and are not treated. They are not clean and safe to use, they are also breeding grounds for mosquitoes and pathogens. With the well water: they cook, bathe, wash, boil and drink the water.

Most people living in the rural areas spend more money on water than other amenities compared to the rich in urban areas. With the establishment of boreholes in some communities which are also sold at higher rates to the people living in the communities it becomes so tough to get clean water i.e a 20 litre gallon of water is sold at 50 Naira and an average family of 5 uses a minimum of 5 litres per day at 250 Naira.

Clean and safe water is expensive and unaffordable to most Nigerians in rural communities. Since these boreholes are situated far from people's houses and the structure of the houses built in Nigeria nowadays (duplex), it becomes difficult for them to carry the water themselves. They hire water carriers (mai ruwa) to assist them and pay for the services. So, aside the money for water, they save up additional money to pay water carriers.

The water supply has to be distributed equally amongst Nigerian citizens, not just any kind of water but clean and safe drinkable water, having known that it is the fundamental human right of everyone regardless of social status, age and religion of that individual. We need clean water to live.