Nonpoint Source Pollution: An Albatross to Clean Waters in Nigeria

A major source of water pollution in Nigeria is storm water runoffs from village homes, city streets, agricultural lands, industrial and mining sites, open markets, etc. This kind of polluted runoff is more formally called Nonpoint Source (NPS) pollution. Despite the enormous impact of nps pollution as a water quality problem, there is really no legislative framework for its control in Nigeria. The National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulation 2011 merely mentioned nps at the interpretation page but totally excludes discharges from storm water drainage from its regulation. State laws like the Enugu State Waste Management Authority Law never even mentioned it although tangentially, some of its provisions could be interpreted to give effect to nps pollution control. Yet, nps pollution contributes enormously to water pollution, soil erosion and flooding in Nigeria. This paper is aimed at highlighting the problem of nps pollution in Nigeria, the regulatory measures or lack thereof for its control in Nigeria; and the lessons from another jurisdiction, the United States of America. The paper also highlights the obstacles to the control of nps pollution, and finally makes some recommendations for its effective control in Nigeria.