Between 1990 and 2004, Nigeria’s urban population jumped to nearly half the national
population, while access to improved sources of water in urban areas dropped by nearly
15 per cent during the same period. This paper presents preliminary results on the
relationship between water supply, neighbourhood characteristics, and household
strategies in response to dissatisfaction with water provision as reported by 389
respondents in 10 neighbourhoods in Lagos and Benin City, Nigeria between October
2007 and February 2008. In this paper, a conceptual model of consumer demand for
water is used, based upon Hirschman’s exit, voice and loyalty (EVL) framework. The
model explicitly factors in the quality of water provision and variables at the household
and neighbourhood levels that could affect perceptions about quality and the strategies
that households use to cope with inadequate public services. Preliminary results show
that reported household strategies to secure water are affected by community-level
factors such as the range, cost, and quality of water supply alternatives, as well as
neighbourhood composition. Furthermore, the percentage of urban migrants and
households that live in rented flats in a neighbourhood seems to be associated with the
use of exit strategies (as opposed to voice) in response to problems with their primary
water supply.