Situated on the west coast of Africa, Nigeria has a population of about 167 million people. The country has been ranked as one of the twenty-five dirtiest countries in the world. Today most Nigerians still lack access to portable water, regardless of the fact that the country has been abundantly blessed with numerous water resources. These water resources can be divided into 8 hydrological areas which are drained by the Rivers Niger and Benue and their numerous tributaries. The three tiers of government in Nigeria i.e. Federal, State and Local Governments share the responsibility of waste management and water resources Management. Over time, Waste Management and Water Resources
Management have been faced with the challenges of weak data base, fragmented responsibility and weak institutional framework. As a result of the foregoing, there is a need to develop legislative agenda and programmes for waste management and water development at the Federal, State and Local government levels. This paper will assess the nature of waste management and water development in Nigeria at the Federal, State and Local government levels. With a view towards identifying best practices in waste management and water development in other jurisdictions in the world, a brief examination of the system adopted in waste management and water development in selected developed countries in the world would be conducted.
