PUBLIC POLICY AND ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER: AN ASSESSMENT OF RURAL WATER SUPPLY INITIATIVES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Access to safe and reliable drinking water remains a persistent development challenge in rural Northern Nigeria despite sustained government reforms and donor-supported interventions. This study evaluates the effectiveness, implementation constraints, and sustainability of rural water supply initiatives within the broader context of public policy implementation and water governance. Drawing on Policy Implementation Theory and Participatory Governance Theory, the study adopts a descriptive and evaluative mixed-methods research design. Data were collected from Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies (RUWASSA), local government authorities, development partners, non-governmental organizations, and rural community representatives across selected states in Northern Nigeria. The findings reveal that although policy instruments, including the National Water Resources Policy, the Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH), and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes, provide a robust institutional framework for expanding rural water access, implementation outcomes remain constrained by institutional fragmentation, inadequate financing, weak intergovernmental coordination, political interference, deficient accountability mechanisms, poor maintenance practices, and limited community participation. Conversely, water supply schemes characterized by strong local ownership, participatory management, and collaborative governance demonstrate greater operational sustainability and improved service delivery. The study argues that the success of rural water policies depends less on policy formulation than on institutional capacity, governance quality, and stakeholder engagement during implementation. It recommends strengthening decentralized water governance, increasing investment in rural water infrastructure, enhancing institutional capacity, institutionalizing robust monitoring and evaluation systems, and promoting inclusive community participation throughout the project cycle. These findings contribute to the literature on public policy implementation and rural service delivery while offering evidence-based policy recommendations for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 6 in Nigeria.