Lagos water corporation serves only 1.03% of population — Official

The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) says its water network serves 34,424 registered households or an estimated 1.03 per cent of the state’s 20 million residents.
The corporation, through the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs and Brand Management, Rasaq Anifowoshe, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr Anifowoshe said this while responding to questions bordering on the LWC’s water coverage and expansion plans.

“Using an estimated average household size of six persons, the number of residents associated with these connections is 206,444, an equivalent to approximately 1.03 per cent of the state’s estimated population of 20 million,” he said.

Mr Anifowoshe disclosed that the corporation had an installed water production capacity of approximately 210 million gallons per day (MGD).

This, he said, was against an estimated state’s daily water demand of approximately 540 MGD, as stated in the Lagos State Water Supply Master Plan.

“A review of the corporation’s 2025 production records indicates an aggregate annual production of approximately 2,633.22 million gallons, equivalent to an average daily production of about 7.21 MGD.

“Based on these records, actual daily production is three per cent of the installed capacity,” he said.

NAN reports that the above figures highlight a substantial gap between installed capacity, actual output and estimated water demand across Lagos State.

Mr Anifowoshe identified ageing distribution pipelines, increasing demand arising from population growth and rapid urbanisation as well as the need to rehabilitate and expand existing water infrastructure as the major constraints.

NAN reports that these challenges affect the corporation’s ability to extend public water supply, particularly to communities relying on boreholes and private vendors.

Across Lagos, residents spend thousands of naira on alternative water sources as irregular public supply and inaccessible connections increase household costs.

Some Lagos residents interviewed by the NAN across Iponri, Oworonshoki, Costain, Apapa Road and Ebute Metta revealed concerns about unreliable supply, failed facilities and inadequate water pressure.

At the Iponri Housing Estate, Adebayo Solomon, said his household spent about N1,500 daily on vendor-supplied water, amounting to N45,000 monthly.

Mr Solomon said the expenditure would total approximately N547,500 if sustained throughout the year.

He said electricity shortages sometimes disrupted water availability, forcing his household to manage stored supplies or pay higher rates.

Mr Solomon said he would welcome an LWC connection if it provided regular supply and reduced dependence on vendors.

Another Iponri resident, Abdulkareem Ibrahim, said he relied on public boreholes provided by philanthropists because his community received no LWC supply.

“I depend on public water, the one provided by philanthropists. I fetch it in the morning or when I return from work at night,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim said the boreholes helped him avoid direct water expenses, although power interruptions sometimes disrupt pumping, forcing him to buy from vendors.

“I am just happy that we have water at all, all thanks to our magnanimous neighbours,” he said.

In Oworonshoki, Amanda Ogbodo, said she spent between N2,200 and N3,600 weekly on vendor-delivered borehole water.

Mrs Ogbodo said the expenditure amounts to between N8,800 and N14,400 over four weeks.

She said the LWC water had flowed more consistently in parts of her area over the preceding four months, mainly from Friday afternoons into Saturday.

However, she disclosed that homes on the higher ground remained underserved because of insufficient pressure, leaving residents on the lower ground better supplied.

She recalled that her business premises previously received LWC water, with eight or nine users contributing N10,000 monthly.

Mrs Ogbodo said supply stopped for about four years after a pipe broke and residents were told repairs were necessary.

She said water returned intermittently in 2025 but had only recently become more consistent.

“Electricity shortages over the preceding two weeks had also reduced availability and increased water costs.

“We plead with the government to help us run the pipe again and resume provision of constant water access,” she said.

At Costain, Eniola Adewale, said a truckload of water costs between N1,200 and N1,500, with vendors sometimes doubling prices during shortages.

She said her household relied on mobile vendors because the public facility was distant and supplied water irregularly.

Ms Adewale said she distrusted vendor-supplied water because its source was unknown, using sachet water for cooking instead.

Eunice David, a food vendor on Thomas Street, Costain, said she spent substantial amounts monthly pumping water for household use.

Mrs David said a public water facility previously serving her community had been non-functional for some time.

“We don’t know what to do again. We need help from the government,” she said, appealing for regular and affordable public water,” he said.

On Opeoluwa Street, Apapa Road, Garuba Alasan, said the public water facility had been non-functional for about 20 years.

“I have lived here for about 30 years, and in the past 20 years, I have used private water sources for my water needs,” he said.

At Vaughan Street in Costain, Anthony Olamide, a point-of-sale operator, said residents had an LWC connection, although supply depended largely on electricity.

Mr Olamide said residents contributed N1,000 monthly towards water supply, reducing alternative-water expenses when public water was available.

However, power outages stopped supply, sometimes forcing households to buy from vendors.

At Olaogun Street, Abule-Nla Junction Ebute Metta, Esther Emokpaire said her household spent between N1,000 and N1,500 per truckload of vendor-supplied water.

She said the household usually purchased water every two days, with prices varying according to availability.

Mrs Emokpaire said vendors claimed the water was clean and treated, although her household had not verified its quality.

“There was a time when members of my household developed skin rashes after bathing with water purchased from vendors,” she said.

She added that shortages made water harder to obtain and sometimes prompted vendors to increase prices.

Residents’ accounts show how irregular supply, failed facilities and inadequate pressure leave households paying for alternatives, including in communities with existing public connections.

Their experiences raise questions about the reach of public water infrastructure, supply reliability and whether announced interventions are translating into improved access.

However, the Lagos State Government’s second-quarter 2026 budget implementation report showed that 36.2 per cent of the approved annual budget for improving 15 existing mini and micro waterworks had been spent by June 30.

The report also recorded expenditure equivalent to four per cent of the approved annual budget for the Adiyan Phase II Waterworks project.

These expenditure figures do not establish the projects’ physical completion status or how much water they currently supply.

Speaking on the corporation’s plan for increasing public water coverage across the state, Mr Anifowoshe disclosed plans of rehabilitation and upgrade of micro/mini treatment plants.

“This will make water accessible to over 5,616,000 households upon full rehabilitation, thereby fulfilling the mandate of the corporation to provide potable water to Lagosians,” he said.

He also identified extension of distribution network to increase access to potable water for Lagosians as another plan.

Meanwhile, the corporation has announced plans to rehabilitate Ojokoro Mini Waterworks and construct Lagos Island Micro Waterworks to improve public water supply.

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Mr Anifowoshe also listed the rehabilitation and upgrading of micro and mini water treatment plants among the corporation’s planned interventions.

He said the intervention would make water accessible to more than 5.6 million households upon full rehabilitation.

He listed digitisation of the distribution network as another planned intervention to enable digital monitoring and remote management of underground pipes and other assets.

According to Anifowoshe, the initiative will help reduce water losses and non-revenue water.

He also disclosed plans to construct the Igbonla 100 MGD water treatment plant to boost supply along the Lekki-Epe corridor.

“This will increase the production capacity of the corporation to meet the demand for water in the Lekki-Epe corridor,” he said.

For residents who continue spending thousands of naira on alternative water sources, the impact of these interventions will ultimately depend on reliable supply, functioning facilities and wider household connections across Lagos State.

(NAN)