SEO Riders:
- – Lagos water PPP divides opinion over affordability and access
– CAPPA slams water PPP plan as “anti-people” and undemocratic
- – LWC insists public oversight ensures PPP remains partnership—not privatisation
Stakeholders have responded cautiously to the Lagos Water Corporation’s (LWC) newly announced Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative aimed at expanding potable water access to more than 22 million residents across the state. While some Lagosians view the move positively, calling it a commendable step toward reducing reliance on boreholes and sachet water, others worry it may undermine affordability, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
- – Support and Praise: Entrepreneurs and residents in Leo districts lauded the initiative’s potential to improve water quality and public health outcomes. Evelyn Mere, Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, voiced cautious optimism—pointing out that with proper financing, a PPP can inject necessary resources into the water sector while safeguarding low-income households, aligning with Lagos’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Policy (2024).
- – Concerns and Criticisms: Residents raised fears over possible tariff hikes and inequitable access, noting past missteps in other utility sectors.
- – CAPPA strongly condemned the initiative: branding the PPP as “anti-people” and criticizing it as a fait accompli rather than a transparent, inclusive process. The group described the LWC-organized workshop as a “sham public relations exercise” held after the government had already issued an RFP, effectively sidelining legitimate stakeholder engagement. CAPPA further urged Lagosians to reject the policy and better fund public water infrastructure, advocating for “public-public partnerships” instead of private concessions.
- – LWC’s Response: LWC’s Managing Director, Mukhtaar Tijani, maintained that the PPP is not a transfer of ownership but a collaborative effort aimed at injecting technical expertise, efficiency, and investment into the water sector—under full regulatory oversight by the state government.
