Lagos residents have expressed mixed feelings over the pilot Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model introduced by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) to expand potable water access to more than 22 million people in the state.
While some residents hailed the initiative as a welcome step toward reducing dependence on boreholes, water tankers and sachet water — which pose health and environmental risks — others raised concerns about affordability, sustainability and transparency.
For Ese Brume, a Lekki resident, the model offers hope but comes with questions.
“Access to potable water is necessary for well-being. However, if it comes at a cost, can Lagosians afford it? And will the service be sustainable?” she asked.
Mrs. Florence Ogbu, an entrepreneur at Jakande Estate, Isolo, described the plan as commendable but warned that it must not worsen the financial burden of residents already struggling with high utility bills.
Similarly, lawyer Henry Adeboye of Okota urged the government to establish a multi-stakeholder monitoring committee, citing past experiences with cost escalations in waste management.
But some residents rejected the idea outright. Surulere-based trader, Mr. Bright Okwuchukwu, described it as “a wrong move” that could lead to privatisation and higher bills.
Others such as Nkechi Abbe of Alagbado, Obiageli Ogbolu of FESTAC, and retiree Edwin Nwachukwu of Egbeda, however, praised the plan as potentially life-saving by reducing waterborne diseases and curbing indiscriminate borehole drilling.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) remain divided. While six CSOs — including Resilience Development Initiative, Citizens Free Service Forum, and the Environmental Defenders Network — petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly, warning of a veiled attempt at privatisation, NGOs like the Grassroots People and Gender Development Centre said private sector participation could work if transparency and state ownership were guaranteed.
WaterAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ms. Evelyn Mere, stressed that water should be treated as both a social and economic good.
“Without proper financing, infrastructure will collapse. Privatising water supply will attract the resources needed to sustain the system,” she said, while calling for inclusion strategies to protect low-income households.
Responding to the concerns, LWC Managing Director, Mr. Mukhtaar Tijani, assured that the PPP initiative was not privatisation but a collaborative model to attract private investment, efficiency and technical expertise.
“The state government will retain regulatory oversight to ensure fairness. This is not the transfer of ownership to private hands, but a partnership to deliver sustainable water services to over 22 million Lagosians,” Tijani said.
He added that stakeholders’ engagements had been open and inclusive, involving NGOs, development partners and private operators.