Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Akinbode Oluwafemi, has called on the government, relevant authorities, and stakeholders in the water industry to prioritize public ownership of water resources. He warned that the privatization of water in Nigeria poses a threat at every level. For four consecutive years, activists have fought against the private capture of public water resources, which has been disguised in the “packaged” Nigerian Water Resources Bill. This struggle has intensified as the government pushes for privatization through the widely criticized National Water Resources Bill.
Speaking at the 2023 Water Day celebration themed “Our Water, Our Right,” Oluwafemi emphasized that privatization denies Nigerians their right to clean water. A 2020 report by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and UNICEF found that one‑third of the Nigerian population drinks contaminated water at home, and 46 million people still practice open defecation. The report also highlighted that the quantity and quality of water available for personal use fall below national standards: the average Nigerian receives only 9 litres per day, whereas the minimum acceptable range is 12–16 litres. Data from the Global Water Organization under USAID indicates that only 48 percent of Nigerians have access to basic clean drinking water sources.
Oluwafemi noted that, through no fault of their own, citizens have been forced to provide water for themselves, making access to clean water more difficult and expensive for those who cannot afford private boreholes. “Water privatization is a failed option that puts profits above people,” he said, stressing that decades of failed privatization schemes worldwide demonstrate the need for a shift away from this exploitative model toward democratic public ownership and control of water resources.
He argued that the daily experiences of communities across Nigeria and Africa reveal a water crisis affecting hundreds of millions—a stark deviation from the expectations set by United Nations Resolution 64/292, which explicitly recognizes the human right to water and sanitation. Oluwafemi expressed concern over the continued involvement of water‑privatizing corporations in United Nations gatherings. “For instance, AquaFed, the organization representing the abusive industry on the world stage, is coordinating World Water Day. This is a slap in the face of water justice and must end,” he said. He cited disturbing accounts of multinational corporations such as Veolia and Suez, both members of AquaFed, whose abuses have led communities across the continent to reject water privatization in all its forms, including public‑private partnerships.
The director called for increased funding for public water systems and reiterated his support for democratic public control of water resources. He urged global authorities to reject the privatization agenda in Africa.
Comments are closed for this story.