By Seyi Odewale

An accountability group, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has slammed the Lagos State government for allegedly pushing a single policy direction aimed at privatising water utilities without considering alternative management models to the detriment of disadvantaged communities within the state.

The body expressed grave concerns about statements made during the just-concluded Lagos International Water Conference (LIWAC), hosted by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) during the week.

According to the accountability watchdog, although the LIWAC 5.0, with the theme: “Financing Water and Sanitation for a Greater Lagos,” brought together government stakeholders, private sector investors, diplomats, and international NGOs to explore innovative funding solutions for the state’s water sector, the conference exclusively presented Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) as the sole viable option.

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A statement yesterday by CAPPA’s Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, noted that the bias was evident in Governor Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Minister for Water Resources, representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources’ speeches, and other pro-privatisation speakers.

CAPPA flagged the overwhelming presence of voices favouring the privatisation of public water utilities, stating that while it was undeniable that the state was facing a potable water crisis, PPPs were not the only solution, despite what advocates of profit-driven models may claim.

“Alternative approaches, such as public control and community management of water, have consistently proven effective in addressing water challenges across the world, offering a more inclusive and sustainable intervention in the face of a global water crisis.

“It is crucial to remind the Lagos State government that credible evidence from Africa and elsewhere demonstrates that water privatisation does not enhance community access to water. If anything, examples from Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania show governments struggling with legal and financial challenges to de-privatise after failed privatisation attempts.

“Only recently, Niger re-municipalised its water utilities following decades of privatisation, and Senegal, often cited as a privatisation success in Africa, faces public backlash over rising costs and water scarcity, prompting an audit of all PPP contracts,” the statement explained.

Decrying the absence of frontline communities at the conference, CAPPA noted that vulnerable groups such as women, girls, persons with disabilities, and members of informal communities, who suffer the most from lack of access to safe public water, were poorly represented at the LIWAC 2024, criticising the notable absence of pro-public water civil society organizations and water justice advocates.

The group encouraged the Lagos State government to embrace sustainable water financing models that prioritise meaningful engagements with these critical stakeholders and groups. It also urged authorities at the helm of affairs to listen to communities on the frontlines of the water crisis, including CSOs and social movements mobilising at the grassroots level.

The statement reads further: “Ultimately, the Lagos State government must adequately fund its water sector and shun privatisation pressures from international financial institutions and private water corporations. The discussions at LIWAC 2024 were dominated by free-market ideals that promote water as an economic good rather than a social necessity, an immoral stance given the systemic and historic defunding of the state’s water sector.”

“CAPPA urges the Lagos State Government to reevaluate its reliance on PPPs in the water sector and prioritise democratic control of water utilities.

“Water privatisation is not the silver bullet it claims to be, as the LIWAC conference keynote speaker’s case study of Manila, Philippines, ironically illustrated. The reality of water privatisation in Manila sharply contrasts with the image the World Bank and others try to paint as a story of privatisation success. Water privatisation in Manila led to a 300 percent increase in tariffs, workforce downsizing, and substantial government debt at the end of the concession contracts.

“For Lagosians, water privatisation would mean steep and unrealistic water cost increases, mass job losses at utilities (evidenced by the sacking of over 800 water workers in Lagos State), corporate grabbing of public water, a decline in water quality, a general deterioration in the quality of life, and significant economic and social liabilities for the Lagos State government.”