Water: CSO criticises privatisation of Lagos public utilities

From Idu Jude, Abuja

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has raised concerns over a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Lagos State Government and the Belstar/ENKA consortium to rehabilitate and expand water infrastructure, citing a lack of transparency.

In a statement by Robert Egbe, CAPPA’s Head of Media and Communication, the NGO noted that the MoU, promoted as a step to improve water supply, lacks public details, raising more questions than answers.

CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said, “As an organisation committed to promoting public participation and ensuring the rights of citizens to access safe and affordable water, CAPPA finds the current approach deeply troubling and symptomatic of a broader pattern of opacity in public water governance in Lagos State.” He criticised the agreement’s secretive finalisation, calling it an affront to democratic accountability.

The NGO highlighted several issues: unclear contractor profiles for Belstar Capital and ENKA, vague project details, undisclosed costs, and the role of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). CAPPA questioned, “Are the completed waterworks going to remain under public ownership and control, or will they be privatised?” It also raised concerns about the Lagos Water Corporation’s (LWC) role and potential tariff increases.

CAPPA warned against privatisation, citing global evidence of higher tariffs and inequitable access in public-private partnerships. “We reiterate that the path to water resilience for Lagos State cannot and must not be dictated by corporate interests,” the statement added.

The NGO urged the government to publish the MoU, hold a public forum, and commit to public ownership of water infrastructure.