Key Points
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Lagos water privatization sparks concern over rising costs.
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CSOs want genuine stakeholder talks with the LWC.
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Transparency and accountability remain at the center of debate.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Lagos are putting more pressure on the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) to stop what they call a “closed-door” approach to ongoing privatization plans. They want a real stakeholder meeting to happen before any big decisions are made.
The call comes at a time when people in Africa’s most populous city are becoming more worried. Residents and labor unions are concerned that privatization could raise tariffs and make it harder for people to get safe water. Lagos has had trouble meeting demand for a long time because it has a population of more than 20 million. Critics say that the state’s water plan is being made without enough public input.
Stakeholders are worried about being left out and costs going up
Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), a major environmental group, said at a press conference in Lagos that LWC was “shutting out the voices of ordinary Lagosians” from a process that will decide the future of the city’s water. Chima Williams, the Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, said that the government is “playing with people’s lives” by not holding a real open consultation.
Amnesty International Nigeria and labor unions joined the group. They were all part of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE). They all said that privatizing water in other countries had caused prices to go up by 30 to 50 percent, with no guarantee of better service.
According to a report by Vanguard news, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), another well-known group in the coalition, said, “From Manila to Dar es Salaam, we’ve seen what happens when profit, not people, drives water policy.” “We won’t let Lagos make these mistakes again.”
People are asking for openness in the privatization of Lagos’s water
The coalition of CSOs says that the Lagos State government must hold an open forum with unions, consumer advocates, and community representatives before going ahead with any plans to privatize. “Water is more than just a thing to buy.” Williams said, “It’s a basic human right.”
The pushback comes at a time when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s government is trying to get private companies to invest in fixing Lagos’ old water system. The city needs more than $2.5 billion in upgrades to make it easier for people to get water and less dependent on informal vendors who currently provide a lot of the water used in low-income neighborhoods.
But activists say that privatization could make things worse for families that already spend up to 20% of their monthly income on water if there are no guarantees that it will be affordable. Unions also say that LWC could have to lay off workers if private companies take over management.
Lagos Water Corporation is under more and more pressure
The argument has put the Lagos Water Corporation in the middle of a storm. Critics say the agency is too eager to adopt a model pushed by international financial institutions without considering the social costs. The agency says it is looking into “all options” to fix chronic shortages.
Oluwafemi said, “The way forward is openness, inclusion, and responsibility.” “Until the Lagos Water Corporation has a real meeting with all the people involved, this process will not be legitimate.”
The pressure is rising right now. CSOs have promised to step up their campaigns, and labor unions have threatened to protest. This is making the state’s plan to privatize water one of the most controversial policy fights in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
