CAPPA Faults Lagos Over Unsafe Water, Demands Public Investment

 

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has accused the Lagos State Government of decades-long neglect of the state’s water infrastructure, warning that millions of residents are exposed to unsafe drinking water.

Reacting to recent comments by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Mahmood Adegbite, that residents of the Lekki Peninsula were probably drinking water from contaminated boreholes, CAPPA said the problem was the result of sustained policy failure, not public behaviour.

In a statement by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, on Sunday, the organisation said unsafe boreholes and dug wells had become the default water source for many Lagosians because the government has failed to provide reliable and affordable public supply.

“For decades, residents have been forced to become their own service providers,” the group said. 

“The risks from faecal contamination, untreated sewage, and poor wastewater management are symptoms of a water governance system left to decay, while policymakers pursue discredited privatisation models that put profit above people.”

Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi said the state could not shirk its constitutional duty to guarantee clean water. 

“You cannot neglect your duty for decades and then shame people for doing what they must to survive,” he stated.

CAPPA called for a halt to market-led water reforms, and urged the government to work with residents, civil society, and experts to develop a community-focused water policy. 

It also demanded a state-wide emergency plan to fix broken wastewater systems, expand access in underserved areas, and integrate climate-resilient water solutions.

While it acknowledged the need to regulate borehole drilling, CAPPA said such regulation should only come after viable public water alternatives are in place.

“Lagosians are not to blame for unsafe water. They are victims of policy neglect. That failure must be fixed, not weaponised,” the group added.