In a review of the effects of water and sanitation in Nigeria, using NDHS 2008 data for the analysis, access to piped water and borehole water were found to be both positively and significantly associated with children’s heights and weight Z scores (Adewara et al 2011) and the association of borehole water is stronger than that of piped water. The height of a child that has access to piped water is likely to be 0.14 Z-scores higher than a child with access to well water.

Access to pit latrines and flush toilets both appear positively associated with children’s heights and are inversely related to the probability of being stunted (Adewara et al, p.11). Further, improved waste disposal and households’ access to flush toilets, appear as significantly and positively associated with children’s height-for-age Z-scores. The height Z-score of a child with access to a flush toilet will be about 0.56 higher than a child with no access to a flush toilet. The probability of being stunted is about 0.3 Z-scores lower for children with access to flush toilets than children with no access to flush toilets.

This finding strongly supports the argument that safe disposal of human waste is essential for health and adequate growth of children. Households with access to piped or borehole water and flush toilets are all positively related to children’s weight-for-age Z-scores. Access to a flush toilet is significant at the 1% level of significance, and access to piped water is positively but weakly associated with child weight Z-score.