OWORAC Demands End To Water Privatisation, Prepaid Meters in Africa

…Alleges Secret Water Contracts In Lagos, Warns Of Higher Tariffs, Exclusion Of Poor Households 

Water justice campaigners, labour unions and civil society organisations across Africa have demanded an end to water privatisation on the continent, warning that handing public water systems to private operators by governments could deepen poverty, increase tariffs and deny millions access to a basic human right.

The groups, under the Our Water Our Rights Africa Coalition (OWORAC), made the demand on Monday in Lagos at the launch of the 2026 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, holding from October 12 to 18 under the theme, “Reclaiming Africa’s Water Future: Public Water for All.”

They are the Senegalese Water Justice Network (Senegal), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (Nigeria), Amaka Nweke Foundation (Nigeria), Water Citizens Network/Revenue Mobilisation Africa (Ghana), Disability Not a Barrier Initiative (Nigeria), Cheriehomes Global Initiatives (Nigeria), Christian Initiative for Nation Building (Nigeria), Green Scenery (Sierra Leone), Voices for Water (Zimbabwe), Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (Kenya) and Corporate Accountability (International).

Reading the coalition’s statement, Geoffrey Occansey of Water Citizens Network/Revenue Mobilisation Africa, Ghana, called on African governments to strengthen public water utilities, increase infrastructure investment and ensure access to safe water was not determined by people’s ability to pay.

OWORAC cited global figures showing that 2.1 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024, while 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation. It said 167 million people in sub-Saharan Africa relied on limited drinking water services.

The coalition warned that poor households often paid significantly more for water from vendors and private suppliers than wealthier residents connected to public networks. 

It rejected privatisation arrangements that could transfer control of essential services to commercial interests or make access dependent on advance payment.

CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, described corporate control of water as a growing threat to African citizens, insisting that governments must prioritise public welfare over corporate profits.

He condemned prepaid water systems that could cut off households unable to purchase credits, urging governments to accept responsibility for providing clean and accessible water.

CAPPA Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, raised concerns over Lagos State’s reported plans to outsource mini and micro waterworks to private operators, alleging that about 23 bidders had been selected without adequate public disclosure of contractual details.

“If the process is legitimate as they continue to claim, why do they keep doing it in secret? Why is the contract hidden?” she asked, demanding transparency over the proposed arrangements and their implications for water prices.

Ibeh also questioned delays surrounding the Adiyan II water project, warning against using public funds to complete infrastructure that could subsequently be handed over to private operators for profit.

She alleged that prepaid water meters were being tested in some Lagos communities despite irregular water supply, potentially leaving residents paying for water that was not consistently available.

The National President of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association, Comrade Rufus Olusesan, condemned privatisation, citing persistent water shortages in Lagos despite years of public expenditure on water infrastructure.

He called for the completion of existing waterworks, protection of water-sector jobs and democratic management involving government, workers, communities and civil society.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Autonomous Union of Water Workers of Senegal, Oumar Ba, cited Senegal’s experience as a warning about private water management, alleging that communities continued to face high bills, inadequate supplies and poor working conditions. 

Ba, who said he was dismissed by water operator SEN’Eau after defending workers’ rights, disclosed that legal proceedings over his dismissal were ongoing.

The National Coordinator of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya, Anne Maina, warned that smart water meters could impose additional costs on households and raise privacy and cybersecurity concerns, urging governments to ensure technology did not undermine equitable access.

Executive Director of Green Scenery, Sierra Leone, Joseph Rahall, called for robustly funded and democratically controlled public water systems, warning that communities across Africa continued to struggle for safe water despite the continent’s freshwater resources.

Rahall urged the media to amplify community concerns and hold public officials accountable for failures in water delivery, describing journalists as critical partners in the campaign for water justice.

He said the Africa Week of Action would feature community engagements and advocacy activities aimed at promoting equitable water governance, adding that similar activities were planned in Sierra Leone.

Research and Water Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability, Neil Gupta, also criticised the influence of multinational water corporations, including Veolia and Suez, citing concerns over affordability, labour abuses and environmental damage.

CAPPA Water Campaign Programme Officer, Holiness Segun Olufemi, advocated a continental water and sanitation financing benchmark to ensure governments commit adequate public resources rather than rely excessively on commercial arrangements.

The coalition urged African governments to guarantee universal access to safe and affordable water, publish water contracts and expenditures, adequately fund public utilities and protect communities from exclusion.

It also called on journalists, labour unions and citizens to sustain pressure on political leaders, insisting that water must remain a public good and a fundamental human right, not a commodity available only to those who can afford it.