Residents of several Lagos communities have lamented their continued reliance on boreholes, wells and water vendors as public water supply falls short of the state’s estimated demand, despite the government’s alleged investments and interventions.
Residents of Mafoluku, Oshodi, Ikorodu, Ajao Estate, and Ikosi, who spoke with journalists on Sunday, said unreliable public water supply had forced them to seek alternatives.
Calista, a resident of Church Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, said her household spends N100 for a keg of borehole water, and N250 or more when buying from vendors during prolonged power outages.
“It is shameful that a big city like Lagos cannot provide water for its residents,” she said.
Similarly, Larry Owolabi, a resident of Ikorodu, said his household depends on a compound well that often produces insufficient water during the dry season.
Mr Owolabi appealed to the government to provide reliable public water supply and improve residents’ living conditions.
In Ajao Estate, Abosede Ayoola said she was born in Lagos but had never seen government water connected to homes in her community.
She said residents depend on public boreholes, where they pay to fetch water for domestic use, adding, “Life will be easier and beautiful if we can get water from the state water corporation.”
Another resident, Favour Anyanwu, who has lived in Ajao Estate for more than 15 years, said her household spends N4,000 every two weeks on sachet water.
She said residents also contributed monthly towards electricity costs to power boreholes supplying water to their flats.
Obumneme Ezeokoli, who lives in the Ikosi axis, said the government’s public water supply stopped working in his area in 2013 without any explanation.
Mr Ezeokoli said he now depends on water vendors and boreholes for his daily water needs.
The residents’ experiences highlight the financial burden households face when public water supply is unavailable or unreliable.
The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), in a recent interview, admitted producing an average of 7.21 million gallons daily in 2025, against the state’s estimated demand of 540 million gallons daily.
The shortfall has raised concerns about the impact of government spending and development-partner interventions on access to safe, reliable and affordable water.
The LWC’s 2025 production records showed annual output of approximately 2,633.22 million gallons, equivalent to an average of 7.21 million gallons daily.
The corporation’s installed production capacity is approximately 210 million gallons daily, compared with estimated demand of 540 million gallons across Lagos.
In 2025, the Lagos State government allocated approximately N37.49 billion to two major water infrastructure programmes.
The programmes comprised N16.86 billion for improving 15 existing mini and micro waterworks and N20.62 billion for Adiyan Phase II waterworks.
Adiyan Phase II is designed to add 70 million gallons daily to the state’s water production capacity.
For 2026, the state budget provided N4.92 billion for improving existing mini and micro waterworks and N26.02 billion for Adiyan Phase II.
The first-quarter 2026 budget implementation report recorded approximately N1.03 billion in expenditure on mini and micro waterworks, representing 21 per cent of the programme’s annual allocation.
By June 30, cumulative expenditure on the programme had reached approximately N1.78 billion, representing 36.2 per cent of its annual allocation.
The second-quarter 2026 budget implementation report also recorded approximately N1.04 billion in expenditure on Adiyan Phase II, representing four per cent of its annual allocation.
The expenditure figures reflect amounts recorded against the projects’ budgets but do not establish their completion status or additional water supplied.
In an earlier interview, LWC said its network serves 34,424 registered households, representing an estimated 1.03 per cent of Lagos’ population of 20 million.
Beyond government funding, WaterAid Nigeria has partnered with the LWC to rehabilitate water infrastructure and improve access to potable water in underserved communities.
According to WaterAid, its partnership with the corporation on urban water supply began in 2023 with the rehabilitation of the Akilo water scheme in Ifako-Ijaiye.
The project was designed to provide safe water access to about 100,000 residents through household connections and water kiosks.
The Akilo facility was recommissioned in December 2025 following rehabilitation works involving boreholes, electromechanical equipment and distribution infrastructure.
In March 2026, WaterAid Nigeria and the Lagos State government unveiled a five-year, $2.5 million project to rehabilitate the Ojokoro waterworks and expand the Iju-Adiyan pipeline network.
The project is expected to improve access to potable water in Ojokoro and surrounding communities.
On September 4, the LWC signed a contract with Bayroyal International Ltd. for the rehabilitation of the Ojokoro Mini Waterworks.
The project includes civil, mechanical and electrical upgrades, borehole rehabilitation, solar integration, pressure monitoring, leakage detection, metering and distribution network expansion.
WaterAid said the interventions were intended to improve the reliability and sustainability of urban water supply.
However, the partnerships have attracted criticism from civil society organisations over the proposed involvement of private operators in managing public water facilities.
Philip Jakpor, executive director of Renevlyn Development Initiative, told journalists that privatisation would not resolve Lagos’ water challenges.
He argued that the approach could prioritise profits over residents’ right to water and expose the state to unfavourable contractual obligations and debts.
He urged the government to reconsider its approach and explore alternatives that prioritised public welfare, operational efficiency and reliable service delivery.
For Calista, Owolabi, Ayola, Anyanwu and Ezeokoli, the challenge remains securing enough water for their households without stretching their already limited budgets.
Their experiences underscore the need to translate public investments and rehabilitation projects into reliable water supply that reaches residents’ homes.
(NAN)
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