A Case of Anambra-Imo River Basin
Development Authority, Nigeria
FEATURED PAPER
By i Uche Godswill Onyeka, ii Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhD,
iii Emmanuel Chinenye Ubani, PhD
iMD/CEO, Transparent Projects Services Ltd.
ii, iii Project Management Technology
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study appraised public sector water project performance for sustainability. The objectives are: to appraise the influence of community ownership, involvement and participation on sustainability of public sector water projects in Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBDA); to examine the extent to which water level of the areas affect the sustainability of public sector water project in AIRBDA; to determine the influence of technology used in extraction of water to the sustainability of public sector water project in AIRBDA and; to ascertain the level of influence that the distance between the beneficiary and location of water projects have on the sustainability of the projects in AIRBDA. Descriptive survey method was adopted and data collected via questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test technique. The results show that Community ownership & Involvement, water level and, technology use in the extraction of water have significant influence on public sector water project performance, while distance between the beneficiaries and water project location does not significantly influence on the performance of public sector water projects. Hence, the study recommends; Proper orientation/user education & needs assessment of public water projects, detailed investigation on the hydrogeology and ground water level, cost effective and easy to maintain type of technology for public water projects and, removal of bureaucratic tendencies in sitting public sector water projects and the survey carry out to determine the most suitable location to site the project to reduce the suffering of the people and enhance sustainability.
Keywords: Sustainability, public sector, project performance, Anambra-Imo River Basin Authority, community ownership & involvement, ground water level
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Water is a natural resource that is necessary for sustenance of life, ecological system and a key resource to social and economic development. Government, non-governmental organizations, local and international organizations from all over the world have implemented water projects to promote safer rural water supply and sanitation over the years. However, in most project areas, there is lack of sustainability of these water infrastructures and water supply systems as a result of economic, social and environmental factors. (Harvey & Reed, 2007) attributed it to lack of community ownership of the projects.
Recent figures of operational failures rate from different African countries range from 30 – 60% (Sutton, 2025) Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority (AIRBDA) is no exception. AIRBDA is a parastatal under the Ministry of Water Resources, a ministry with the direct responsibility for water provision to the general public across the nation. Like other river basin development authorities in Nigeria, AIRBDA is in charge of catering for water and agricultural need of people in the five South-eastern (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo) States (Onyeka, 2024).
However, it is a common phenomenon to observe non-functional water systems just a few years after implementation e.g. lack of adequate protection such as fencing the project site, vandalization of solar pumping systems for boreholes, non-operational and complete abandonment of other water projects in various communities in the Southeast where the AIRBDA control.
Studies have revealed that the main issue in these communities is willingness and the ability of these communities to manage and maintain these water projects and its accompany infrastructures through commitment of time and resources to the protection, operation and maintenance of rural water influence the sustainability of water projects (Gleitsmann, 2005). According to Harvey and Reed (2007) community involvement strongly influence sustainability of water infrastructures. AIRBDA has done remarkably well in the area of providing water and accompany infrastructures across the states under their operational area. There is presence of AIRBDA water project in virtually all the communities in the south east. Huge amount of resources has been deployed through the authority to carter for the water needs of the communities. However, constituent projects from the government are carried out through the authority and most of the politicians representing various constituencies have in the past and present received a fair share of water projects from the authority.
Unfortunately, casual observation reveal that most of these projects are not serving these communities. Nevertheless, the projects are completed and handed over to the people, but benefits are not there. Out of the 15 project surveyed, only 5 is functional as at the time of this study (see Appendix). This represent 33.33% sustainability. This is low. One keeps wondering if the ‘need assessment’ of these projects were not carried out before embarking on these water projects (Onyeka, 2024). The non – operational water resource projects in the operational area of AIRDBA leaves a lot to desire. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the factors influencing sustainability of these water projects and to find ways to increase sustainability in the water project to make them meet their objectives.
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How to cite this paper: Onyeka, U. G., Echeme, I. I., Ubani, E. C. (2026). Sustainability of Public Sector Water Projects: A Case of Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority, Nigeria; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue V, May. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pmwj164-May2026-Onyeka-sustainability-of-public-sector-water-projects.pdf
About the Authors
Uche Godswill Onyeka
Imo State, Nigeria
Uche Godswill Onyeka is the MD/CEO Transparent projects services Ltd, Owerri Imo State. He was born on the 1st of June 1972 at Nkwerre in Nkwerre local government area of Imo State Nigeria. He attended central school Nkwerre for his primary school and St Augustine Grammer School Nkwerre for his secondary school and graduated in 1988. He obtained a BSc in geology from the University of Nigeria in 1996. He worked brief with Interdrill oil services company in Warri, Delta State. He went into full-time geologic practice with core interest in water projects. He later enrolled in the Federal University of Technology Owerri where he obtained his post graduate diploma and MSc degrees in Project Management Technology. He is happy married man with four sons.
Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhD
Owerri, Imo State Nigeria
Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme is a lecturer in the department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Echeme has a B.Tech, MSc, and PhD in Project Management Technology and has published more than Sixty (60) articles in both international and national reputable journals. Dr. Echeme has published a textbook on Project Time, Cost and Quality Management. He is a Chartered member of Chartered Institute of Project Managers Nigeria (CIPMN), Chartered member, Association of Practicing Project Managers of Nigeria (APPMON), Certified Project Director (CPD) and a member of International Project Management Professionals (IPMP). Dr. Echeme has presented papers in conferences and workshops within and outside Nigeria. He can be contacted through; ibeecheme@yahoo.com
Emmanuel C. Ubani, PhD
Imo State, Nigeria
Prof. Emmanuel C. Ubani holds BSc. and MEng in Industrial Engineering; PhD in Project Management Technology. Former Head, Department of Project Management Technology, and former Associate Dean, School of Management Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri. He is a member of Nigeria Society of Engineers (MNSE), Fellow Institute of Industrial Administration (FIIA). He has published widely in both International and local Journals.
