By Abdullahi Lukman
Despite the Lagos State Government’s claim that ₦2.685 billion was spent in 2025 to rehabilitate 50 modified Type A potable water schemes, access to clean water has shown little improvement for residents, budget documents indicate.
A breakdown of the expenditure shows that about ₦53.7 million was spent on each water scheme. The project was handled by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on behalf of the state government.
According to the 2025 budget performance report reviewed by The Guardian, ₦2.699 billion was allocated for the rehabilitation, with 99.5 per cent of the funds—₦2.685 billion—utilised by the end of the third quarter. About ₦14 million remained for the fourth quarter, though it could not be independently confirmed whether the balance was eventually spent.
The documents further revealed that ₦886 million was spent in the second quarter of 2025, while a significantly higher sum of ₦1.8 billion was expended in the third quarter on the same project.
Efforts to verify the execution and locations of the rehabilitated schemes proved unsuccessful.
Officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs declined to provide details, citing the unavailability of key officials, including the special adviser responsible for rural development.
Civil society group Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) said it was unaware of the rehabilitation project.
Its Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, questioned the beneficiaries and locations of the schemes, noting that access to public piped water in Lagos remains limited.
She said most residents still rely on boreholes, water vendors and sachet water, which are often unsafe and costly.
According to her, the situation reflects years of underinvestment, ageing infrastructure and unreliable power supply in the water sector.
Ibeh criticised the state’s reliance on public–private partnerships and market-driven approaches, arguing that they treat water as a commodity rather than a public good.
She cited water metering practices in some communities, where residents pay thousands of naira for limited and irregular water supply.
While acknowledging the Adiyan II water project as a positive example of public investment, she stressed the need for consistent funding across the entire water system, including pipe repairs, facility upgrades and network expansion. She added that strengthening publicly managed water infrastructure is critical to ensuring affordable and reliable water access for Lagos residents.
Source: Guardian
