This doctoral research focuses on groundwater degradation in Lagos, Nigeria. Groundwater is a fundamental natural resource in Lagos that is presently troubled by pollution emanating from solid waste and wastewater. The city generates 10,000 metric tons of waste and 350 million gallons of wastewater daily, all of which are improperly managed and are heavily polluting its groundwater. This direct environmental pollution is aggravated by indirect problems of over-urbanization, and legal and institutional shortcomings. Over-urbanization in Lagos has resulted into a monumental population of 21 million people in the tiny city, which generates the enormous quantities of solid waste and wastewater. The population places a tremendous burden on the city’s water resources, forcing residents to revert to groundwater which is suffering the plight of pollution, and hence the concern of this research. The pollution problem is worsened by civic apathy to environmental matters, and unresolved by a nascent water sector whose evolving governance structures do not adequately address the multi-dimensional pollution problem. In the final analysis, the absence of holistic and comprehensive groundwater legislation that addresses all these problems challenges the sustainability of this vital resource. The research study contributes to knowledge by attempting to provide broad and holistic recommendations for law reform which address the pollution, management of the effects of over-urbanization and overpopulation on groundwater, and the strengthening of institutions to achieve a sustainable groundwater resource.

Key words: groundwater, solid waste, wastewater, urbanization, pollution