Lagos govt water privatisation will deepen inequality, coalition warns

A collation of development-focussed teams and people has warned that privatising water providers in Lagos might make water much less reasonably priced for poor residents, urging the state authorities to speculate extra in public water infrastructure.

Rufus Olusesan, president of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA), gave the warning on Monday throughout the Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation 2026, organised by the Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) in Lagos.

He said that non-public operators might prioritise worthwhile areas on the expense of underserved communities equivalent to Ajegunle and Makoko.

“Water is not a commodity. It is a human right,” Mr Olusesan mentioned.

Speaking on the theme, Reclaiming Africa’s Water Future: Public Water for All, he known as on the Lagos State Government to allocate no less than 5 per cent of its annual finances to water infrastructure.

He famous that the present allocation was lower than one per cent, though the determine couldn’t be independently verified.

He additionally known as for the rehabilitation of the Iju, Adiyan and Ishasi waterworks, completion of the Adiyan II undertaking and investigations into contractors dealing with water tasks that had did not ship the anticipated outcomes.

Coalition warns towards commercialisation of water

In a joint assertion learn by Geoffrey Occansey of Ghana’s Water Citizens Network/Revenue Mobilisation Africa, OWORAC famous that insufficient public funding, inhabitants progress, urbanisation and local weather pressures had worsened water provide challenges throughout Africa.

The coalition urged governments to strengthen public water programs slightly than use their shortcomings to justify transferring providers to personal operators.

The assertion cited international figures exhibiting that 2.1 billion folks lacked safely managed consuming water in 2024, whereas 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation. In sub-Saharan Africa, it mentioned, 167 million folks relied on restricted drinking-water providers that yr.

The coalition said that households with out dependable public water provides usually relied on distributors, tankers and personal boreholes, leaving poorer residents to pay extra for an important service.

Citing analysis on city water entry in sub-Saharan Africa, it defined that low-income households counting on distributors might pay between 10 and 20 instances extra per unit of water than households related to public networks.

“This is a poverty penalty in which those with the lowest incomes can end up paying the highest prices for an essential service,” the assertion mentioned.

It warned that business tariffs, concessions, public-private partnerships and pay as you go water meters might worsen inequality if entry more and more relied on households’ potential to pay.

The assertion additionally cited a 2025 Global Witness investigation right into a Veolia-managed landfill in Colombia, alongside considerations about Veolia’s operations in Gabon and Suez’s involvement in Senegal’s city water system. The coalition argued that private-sector involvement required efficient public oversight and didn’t robotically resolve infrastructure and sanitation issues.

It known as on African governments to publish water-related contracts, financing preparations, tariffs and expenditure, whereas involving employees and affected communities in choices about water administration.

Lagos water coverage faces opposition

Opposition to private-sector participation in Lagos water providers predates the newest marketing campaign.

PREMIUM TIMES beforehand reported that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) opposed the Lagos State Government’s plan to function its waterworks via a public-private partnership (PPP) association.

The union accused the administration of the Lagos Water Corporation of utilizing water shortage to influence residents that private-sector participation was the one sustainable means to enhance provide.

“It is disheartening to state here that at this critical period when countries throughout the world are embracing re-municipalisation, Lagos State is spearheading privatisation,” the union mentioned.

The Lagos State Government had maintained that it isn’t privatising its waterworks however adopting a PPP mannequin to fulfill the state’s rising demand for water.

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) had additionally opposed the proposed association, insisting that water provide ought to stay publicly managed and reasonably priced.

At Monday’s occasion, Mr Olusesan proposed a water board comprising authorities representatives, employees, neighborhood teams and civil society organisations. He mentioned the board ought to publish its budgets and expenditure quarterly to allow residents to observe public spending.

He additionally alleged that the Lagos Water Corporation disengaged greater than 800 employees in 2024 to make the company extra engaging to traders. He warned that changing everlasting workers with informal employees might undermine job safety, pension entitlements and the technical capability required to take care of water infrastructure.

A report had said that the Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council (Trade Union) condemned the reported dismissal of greater than 370 employees from the company.

In a petition to the state authorities, the council’s chairperson, Olusegun Balogun, alleged that the dismissals had been carried out underneath the guise of restructuring and redundancy with out satisfactory communication or negotiations with union representatives.

Mr Balogun urged the federal government to droop the method and have interaction the affected unions, together with AUPCTRE and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations, Government-Owned Companies and Associated Organisations.

He additionally known as for an investigation into the company’s administration and using World Bank loans allotted to enhance its operations.

The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) individually alleged that the dismissals had been a part of an try to privatise water providers in Lagos. The group urged the state authorities to reverse the disengagement and enhance water provide throughout the state.

The reported dismissal of greater than 370 employees and Mr Olusesan’s declare regarding over 800 employees in 2024 relate to separate accounts. The company and the state authorities ought to make clear the figures and circumstances surrounding the reported job losses.

OWORAC proposes continental funding goal

At the occasion, Holiness Olufemi, programme officer for water campaigns at CAPPA, unveiled OWORAC’s place paper on implementing the Africa Water Vision 2063.

Titled “Implementing the Africa Water Vision 2063: An OWORAC Coalition Position on Water Justice, Public Control and Democratic Water Governance”, the paper requires stronger public water programs, satisfactory authorities funding and larger neighborhood participation in water administration.

Ms Olufemi mentioned the imaginative and prescient might enhance entry to water and sanitation throughout Africa, however its success would depend upon governments committing enough assets and guaranteeing that public spending produced measurable outcomes.

One of the paper’s central proposals is a continental financing benchmark for water and sanitation, supported by nationwide funding targets and clear reporting.

Ms Olufemi cited the 2001 Abuja Declaration, underneath which African leaders dedicated to allocating no less than 15 per cent of their annual budgets to well being, as a precedent for establishing an identical benchmark for water and sanitation.

Under the proposal, governments can be assessed not solely on their finances allocations but additionally on the funds launched and spent, the infrastructure delivered and the ensuing enhancements in entry to secure and reasonably priced water.

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The paper additionally proposes an African Water Accountability and Monitoring Mechanism to trace progress and maintain establishments accountable.

Mr Olusesan known as for laws recognising entry to water as a human proper and prohibiting water privatisation.

“Government must fund water corporation as it funds roads and airports,” she mentioned.

The marketing campaign comes because the African Union marks 2026 because the Year of Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.

OWORAC urged African governments to make use of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and the 2026 United Nations Water Conference to advance public financing and strengthen neighborhood participation in water governance.

“Public Water for All is not a slogan. It is possible, it is affordable, it is our right,” Ms Olusesan mentioned.

The joint assertion was endorsed by water justice and civil society organisations from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Kenya, in addition to the worldwide organisation Corporate Accountability.