Education Data · Bauchi State · 2024/2025
Water access, sanitation facilities, hygiene conditions and gender-sensitive WASH evidence for Bauchi State public schools.
61%
No Safe Water
Public primary schools
346:1
Pupil-Toilet Ratio
vs 20:1 standard
88%
Worst LGA (Water)
Toro LGA
805:1
Worst LGA (Toilets)
Toro LGA
2024/2025 · Bauchi State
61%
of public primary schools
What it measures
Proportion of public primary schools in Bauchi State that reported having no safe or functional water source on school premises.
What the data shows
61% of Bauchi State's public primary schools — approximately 2,107 of 3,454 reporting schools — have no functional safe water source. The worst-affected LGA is Toro, where 88% of schools report no safe water. Alkaleri (84%), Itas-Gadau (81%) and Warji (79%) are also critically underserved.
Why it matters
Safe water at school is a prerequisite for basic hygiene, particularly for menstruating girls. Without water, handwashing after toilet use is impossible, disease transmission increases, and girls face additional barriers to school attendance and retention.
Equity lens
The absence of safe water is a girls' education issue. Menstrual hygiene without water is impossible, contributing to school absence among adolescent girls — a driver of dropout that is rarely captured in enrolment statistics.
Financing implication
Providing a basic water point at each of the 2,107 water-insecure schools, at an average cost of ₦500,000 per borehole or rainwater harvesting system, would require approximately ₦1.05bn — less than 1% of the annual education budget.
Recommended response
Ministry of Education and RUWASA should co-develop a School WASH Investment Plan identifying the highest-risk schools by LGA, with funding from both education and water sector budgets.
Source: Bauchi State ASC 2024/2025, SUBEB WASH Returns.
Limitations: WASH data relies on school self-reporting. Functional status may be overreported; seasonal variation in water availability is not captured.
2024/2025 · Bauchi State
346:1
pupils per toilet
What it measures
Average number of enrolled primary pupils per functional toilet facility in public primary schools across Bauchi State.
What the data shows
At 346:1, the statewide PTR is more than 17 times the UNICEF recommended standard of 20:1. The worst LGA is Toro at 805:1 — over 40 times the standard. In these conditions, open defecation within school compounds is common, creating health and dignity risks particularly for girls.
Why it matters
Gender-separated, lockable toilet facilities are among the most evidence-based interventions for girls' school attendance and retention at puberty. Their absence is directly linked to adolescent girls' dropout rates across sub-Saharan Africa.
Equity lens
Female-specific toilet provision is not tracked separately in available ASC data. The combined pupil-toilet ratio underestimates the shortage faced by girls, who require private, lockable facilities with menstrual hygiene management infrastructure.
Financing implication
Constructing one gender-separated, lockable toilet block per school at the 2,107 most-deprived schools would cost approximately ₦2.1bn at ₦1M per unit — a one-time capital investment with measurable impact on girls' retention.
Recommended response
SUBEB should prioritise female-specific toilet construction in all capital works programmes, using ASC WASH data as the targeting mechanism and publishing annual progress reports.
Source: Bauchi State ASC 2024/2025, SUBEB WASH Returns.
Limitations: Functionality of existing toilets is based on school reports. Toilets counted as functional may not meet minimum privacy or cleanliness standards.