By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Water justice groups and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) on Monday called on political parties and presidential aspirants to present clear plans for ensuring universal access to clean water ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The groups expressed concern over the apparent lack of attention to water access in the policy proposals of political parties, warning that millions of Nigerians still depend on unsafe and expensive sources of water.
They also challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress to explain why Nigerians were yet to feel the impact of its 2023 Renewed Hope Manifesto pledge to ensure that no citizen lives more than five minutes from a clean water source by the end of the decade.
The groups, which include the Citizens Free Service Forum, Renevlyn Development Initiative, Ecumenical Water Network Africa, Child Health Organisation, Environmental Defenders Network and New Life Community Care Initiative, said access to clean water remained a major national concern.
They cited global indicators suggesting that access to clean water in Nigeria stood at about 29.9 per cent, attributing the slow progress in the sector partly to institutional fragmentation between federal and state governments.
The position was reiterated during a meeting with the newly elected national executives of AUPCTRE, led by its National President, Comrade Eugene Manji, in Abuja.
The groups said their concerns were also documented in a 2025 report titled Dry Taps: A Damning Verdict on the State of Water Utilities in Nigeria, which examined water utilities in Lagos, Oyo, Kogi, Enugu, Edo and Kano states.
The report highlighted years of neglect by federal and state governments, leaving several water utilities operating below capacity and forcing residents to rely on alternative water sources.
Speaking at the meeting, Manji said access to clean water appeared not to be a priority for the current government and politicians seeking public office in 2027.
He said millions of Nigerians were compelled to obtain water from unsafe sources, while those who could afford alternatives paid excessively for commercial supplies.
According to him, the situation exposes Nigerians to waterborne diseases and potentially harmful substances.
Similarly, the Executive Director of CFSF, Comrade Sani Baba, said political parties had yet to disclose concrete plans to address the country’s water crisis.
He urged Nigerians to demand clear commitments from presidential aspirants, stressing that access to clean water must become a major issue in the 2027 election campaigns.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor, described water as essential to food security, energy, public health and climate resilience.
He argued that political parties should prioritise water access in their manifestos, noting that the resource was fundamental to economic development.
The groups also resolved to demand concrete commitments from political parties while opposing the transfer of publicly funded state water corporations to private operators.
They specifically criticised the Lagos State Government’s proposed Public-Private Partnership approach to water management, arguing that it could undermine public ownership of water infrastructure.
As an alternative, they recommended the adoption of the Public-Public Partnership model, which encourages collaboration among public and non-profit organisations to deliver services, develop infrastructure and share technical expertise.
They further called for improved workers’ welfare, decent working conditions and fair wages for employees in the water sector.
