| Summary: | This study rigorously evaluates the effectiveness of smart water management systems in addressing prevalent water infrastructure failures, resilience, and sustainability challenges in Nigeria. Employing a transdisciplinary approach that integrates technological, social, and economic disciplines, along with industry and community insights, it analyses 1,095 days of operational data from a smart water kiosk. The data were processed employing Target 6.1 software for comprehensive comparative analysis, trend analysis, predictive modeling, and impact assessment. Initially, the kiosk achieved a 22% self-sustainability rating (SSR), which dropped to zero due to aid overlap – a novel challenge documented for the first time in the literature as a significant challenge to infrastructure sustainability. Additionally, the research highlighted infrastructure underutilization as a critical yet under-explored issue. Despite these challenges, the kiosk ultimately achieved a 100% sustainability rating (SR) with external support and maintained a high reliability rating of 97.1%. The findings of this study guide strategic research and policy recommendations, aiming to optimize the deployment of smart water management systems in Nigeria and other regions with similar socio-economic settings, thereby enriching the global discourse on sustainable water infrastructure.
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