The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has frowned at Lagos State Government’s plan to privatise water supply through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).Reacting to the idea, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, warned that it will strip residents of their right to affordable, publicly managed water.He described last week’s two-day workshop organised by the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) to promote the scheme as a “sham public relations exercise,” noting that the government had already issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to private investors before convening stakeholders.“What Lagosians can expect is clear: water will no longer be treated as a human right but as a financial asset for investors,” said The planned concession, beginning with about 10 per cent of state water assets, has drawn sharp criticism from campaigners who accuse the government of ignoring global evidence that water privatisation leads to higher costs, job losses, and declining service quality.CAPPA cited failures in countries including Rwanda, Morocco, South Africa, and even the United Kingdom, where privatised water firms have been plagued by sewage spills, rising bills, and shareholder profiteering.Instead, the group urged Lagos state government to increase budgetary funding for water infrastructure, adopt public-private partnerships, and join global cities such as Paris and Berlin in remunicipalising water systems.CAPPA demanded the immediate withdrawal of the RFP, full disclosure of agreements already signed with foreign investors, and an open public dialogue on sustainable alternatives.
