Abstract

The study investigated whether there were differences in public assessment and perception of water stress in the Lagos metropolis, Nigeria on the basis of some socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status and socio-economic background. The study was essentially a survey. It used a sample of 600 respondents (347 males and 253 females) spread across four local government areas in Lagos State. The major instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire with a reliability of 0.541 while data analysis employed frequency counts and t-test statistics. Result showed that there were no significant differences in public perception of water stress on the basis of the four aforementioned variables. The result raises some fundamental issues that are related to the recurring problem of water stress in Nigerian cities. Recommendations were later proffered on how to combat incidents of water stress in big cities such as Lagos.