Water supply and sanitation provision has been at the core of international attention reflected in
various international directives and declarations over the past three decades. How are such
international priorities domesticated in the national and local policy agenda? This paper specifically
assesses the Nigerian policy trend and practices in relation to water supply and sanitation coverage
over the past ten decades. The review observed that the Nigerian water and sanitation policy
environment is characterized by: a) too many short-lived policies without corresponding action; b)
excessive and opportunistic use of some international policy instruments; c) very many agencies with
none effectively in charge; d) unrealistic assumptions of situations and; e) poor implementation
practices. Although this trend of observation seems a general problem in developing countries, the
paper argues that the Nigerian case looks exceptional, to a large extent, given the peculiarities of
ethnic politics, long years of military rule which undermined the evolution and development of
necessary institutions in the water and sanitation sector, official corruption, among several other
factors. These factors and others contribute to making public water supply and sanitation services
inaccessible to the poor. Given the nature of observations, the review concludes with some
necessary recommendations.