By Faridat Salifu
The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos Urban Water Sanitation and Hygiene (LUWASH) programme, in a bid to address Lagos State’s water supply needs, has secured a five-year grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This initiative aims to overhaul the city’s aging water infrastructure, beginning with the rehabilitation of five key mini waterworks located in Badore, Lekki, Victoria Island, Victoria Island Annexe, and Ajegunle.
Announced recently by Engr. Mukhtaar Tijani, Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) and represented by Mrs. ‘Peju Isola, the project was highlighted during the Community Water Parliament held in Ogba as part of the 2024 Africa Week of Resistance Against Water Privatisation.
The focus of this first phase is to restore essential water facilities to ensure more consistent water availability and improved sanitation services across the identified communities.
Beyond the initial phase, plans are already underway to expand this rehabilitation effort to additional locations, including the Oshodi Waterworks.
This second phase is part of a broader strategy to reach more Lagos communities with reliable water services, a critical move in a city where water demand far exceeds supply.
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The upgrade of these waterworks is expected to mitigate current water disruptions, bolster sanitation standards, and contribute to the government’s long-term vision for sustainable water access.
Alongside the USAID-supported upgrades, Lagos State is addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges at two of its major waterworks: the Iju Waterworks, with a capacity of 45 million gallons daily (MGD), and the Adiyan Waterworks, at 70 MGD. Both facilities, which play a significant role in Lagos’s overall water supply, are undergoing repairs to restore them to full functionality.
The construction of the Adiyan Phase II Water Treatment Plant is also ongoing, which will add an additional 70 MGD to the state’s capacity, particularly enhancing supply to Lagos’s western areas.
However, infrastructure maintenance is not without obstacles. Challenges such as chemical shortages and power outages continue to affect operations, though LWC is implementing various measures to keep these issues at bay.
According to Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, addressing these bottlenecks is essential for ensuring the state’s water facilities can operate reliably and sustainably.
To meet the growing demands of Lagos’s population, which requires an estimated 240 million gallons of water per day, the state is not only leveraging international partnerships like the USAID grant but also increasing its financial commitments and courting private sector investment.
While efforts are underway to enhance water access, Wahab clarified that while subsidized, these improvements would not make water services free.
As the LUWASH programme and other projects progress, Lagosians can expect improved water availability, greater reliability in service, and the potential for sustainable water access across the state’s diverse communities.
