This book aims to raise awareness of how the International Benchmarking Network of Water and Sanitation Utilities (IBNET)can help utilities identify ways to improve urban water and wastewater services. It provides an introduction to benchmarking and to the objectives, scope and focus of IBNET and describes some of its recent achievements. The methodology and data behind IBNET are elaborated, and an overview of IBNET results and country data are presented.

Well-run water utilities play an important role in ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Consumers need reliable access to high quality and affordable water and sanitation services. To deliver these basic services efficiently and effectively requires high-performing utilities that are able to respond to urban growth, to connect with the poor, and to improve wastewater disposal practices. The International Benchmarking Network for Water and Sanitation Utilities of the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program (IBNET) has been involved in water sector monitoring since 1997. IBNET works...

Investments on the order of US$6 billion are estimated to be needed in the water sector in Nigeria in the next 10 years if the country is to achieve universal water supply coverage. This is the main finding of State Water Agencies in Nigeria: A Performance Assessment, in which the objective is to provide the government of Nigeria with a structured and coherent quantitative snapshot of the state of its urban water sector. The report focuses on water provision services from the States' Water Authorities or Water Boards (SWAs) as they are the major and only regulated agencies that provide water...