By Abdullahi Lukman
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned the Lagos State Government’s push to privatise water services through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, describing it as anti-people and a violation of residents’ right to safe, affordable, and publicly managed water.
In a statement released on August 20, 2025, CAPPA criticised a recent two-day advocacy workshop organised by the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) as a mere public relations stunt to legitimise an already decided privatisation agenda.
The workshop, themed “Attracting Investment for Improved Water Supply in Lagos State through Public-Private Partnership, included promises from lawmakers to amend laws in favour of private investors.
CAPPA argued that the workshop occurred after the government had already issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting private bids for the management of mini and micro waterworks under a Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (BFOT) model.
This, the group said, shows contempt for public engagement and accountability.
Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi stated, “We reject both the process and its premise. This is not stakeholder consultation—it’s a rubber stamp for decisions already made.”
He added that past efforts to privatise Lagos water have consistently ignored the needs of residents, shifting financial burdens onto the public.
The group also criticised the April 2025 MoU with U.S. firm Belstar Capital and Turkey’s ENKA, and the 2024 launch of the Lagos Water Partnership (LWP), calling them closed-door agreements with no transparency, feasibility studies, or environmental safeguards.
CAPPA challenged LWC Managing Director Mukhtaar Tijani’s claim that PPP is not privatisation, arguing that models like BFOT are forms of indirect privatisation that transfer operational control and profit motives to private entities.
The group pointed to mass layoffs of over 800 LWC workers as evidence of the human cost of such arrangements.
Refuting Tijani’s claims of PPP success in countries like Rwanda, South Africa, and Morocco, CAPPA highlighted cases of failure, corruption, service disruptions, and public backlash.
It noted that cities like Paris, Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Jakarta have all reversed water privatisation after negative experiences.
Instead of privatising, CAPPA urged the Lagos State Government to embrace remunicipalisation—restoring public control over water services—and to increase budgetary support for public utilities.
It also called for open consultations with communities and the adoption of public-public partnerships.
Finally, CAPPA demanded an immediate halt to the PPP initiative, withdrawal of the current RFP, full disclosure of existing agreements, and a truly participatory dialogue on long-term solutions to the state’s water crisis.
