Global Water Intelligence magazine has revealed fresh details about the water privatisation plans of the Lagos State government.
Organisations belonging to the Our Water Our Right Coalition have therefore called on the state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the plans.
On Wednesday, at a media briefing in Lagos, the coalition in a speech by Philip Jakpor, Head Media & Campaigns, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) which is part of the coalition, stated that
“On October 17, Global Water Intelligence (GWI) magazine – a high-value business information for the private water industry – published updated details about the water privatisation plans of the Lagos government which showed that, despite the aversion of Lagos citizens, the Adiyan II and Igbonla privatisations are said to be imminent.
“This is in addition to other major waterworks being rounded up for privatisation by the year 2022.
“It is important to make it explicitly clear that if the two privatisation contracts are signed, it will mean corporate grab and control of one-third of Lagos water by the 2023 target of the Lagos government and by the contractual agreements, these corporations would control our water for two decades or more.
“We also learnt that the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) will soon release a Strategic Business Plan for the period 2019 – 2024 which has the support of the Lagos State Government yet, did not allow the crucial mass of Lagos citizens to make their input or take their concerns into consideration.”
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Specifically, according to the coalition, the report alleges that the Lagos State government has awarded the 100 million gallon/day Igbonla project to Brio Resources Technologies and Acuamed, adding that that LWC hopes to reach financial closure on Igbonla by end of 2019.
The coalition added that “In the GWI publication the 70 million gallon/day Adiyan II PPP which has a 25-year contract length also raises suspicion. Under status, it noted that the Preferred Bidder had been selected and is awaiting Lagos State Government approval.
“The report also noted that the LWC hopes to award the contract by the end of 2019. The preferred bidder has not yet been named publicly, spurring further concern.”
The Our Water Our Right Coalition is a network of civil society organisations, labour unions, community activists and faith-based groups, all unified in the belief that our water is our common heritage and therefore it must not be commodified.
“We are using this medium to ask Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to discontinue the toxic PPP legacy of his predecessors which Lagosians have resoundingly rejected through petitions, public protests and a Solutions document,” the coalition added.
