Groups reject privatization as Lagos Assembly promises investigation of allocations to water sector

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

A coalition of water justice groups have rejected the planned pilot Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the water sector as proposed by the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), urging the water utility to adopt the Public-Public Partnership (PuP) and other alternatives that have worked in other climes instead.

The groups – Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Ecumenical Water Network Africa/Blue Communities Africa (EWNA/BCA), Child Health Organisation and the New Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI) made their position known at a meeting with the House Committee on Environment (Parastatals) which held on September 9, 2025 at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja.

The groups had in a petition dated August 18, 2025 alleged that budgetary allocations for water in Lagos for more than a decade may not have been used for the purpose, recommending an investigation of humongous sums and their recovery for use in rehabilitating and making the states’ water utilities functional.

Some of the projects the groups  want probed are the N4 billion for the Otta-Ikosi waterworks awarded in 2007 but is still not working; N3 billion expended on construction of an Independent Power Plant (IPP) which also included an additional N180 million expended monthly on purchase of fuel; N897m released by the Lagos State government for rehabilitation of Iju and Adiyan Waterworks; and N789m released by the Lagos State Government for rehabilitation of the 48 mini and micro waterworks in Lagos.

Others are N2.7bn voted by the Lagos State Government and expended on the rehabilitation of Ishasi waterworks supervised by the Governor, N950 million budgeted for purchase of chemical for year 2023; N315 million paid as 50% advanced payment to contractors for the supply of liquid alum in October 2023; N1.2 billion budget for water treatment chemicals in 2024; and N9.5 million for repair of chemical store gate at Iju and Adiyan.

They also called on the Lagos government to carry out a study on the Public-Public Partnership (PuP) model which has worked in many countries and its suitability for Lagos among a host of options that are available.  

Chair of the House Committee on Environment (Parastatals), Hon. Shabi Rasheed Adekola, who presided over the meeting revealed that the pilot PPP in the water sector has not been given the final nod by the Lagos Assembly even as he said that his committee would embark on a comprehensive investigation of the alleged projects and sums listed in the petition.

Hon. Adekola, who also serves as representative of Lagos Mainland II Constituencypraised the petitioners for bringing the issues before the House and revealed that the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa had received the petition and personally asked that the meeting be convened to hear the arguments of the petitioners.

The lawmaker upbraided the LWC for not carrying out extensive consultations even as he charged the Corporation to commence wide consultation with civil society and other groups on their challenges and how to address the state’s water crisis.