Lagos Water Privatisation Row Deepens As CAPPA Alleges Secrecy In Multi-Million Water Deals
Access to clean water is not just a public utility issue, it is a question of transparency, accountability and trust. In Lagos, that trust is now under scrutiny.
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has accused the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) of conducting its ongoing mini and micro waterworks procurement process in secrecy, in what it describes as a violation of the state’s own Public-Private Partnership (PPP) disclosure framework.
The controversy centres on a Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (BFOT) model covering several water facilities across Lagos, including Lekki and Akilo Waterworks, Victoria Island Annex and Magodo Waterworks, Abesan and Alexander Waterworks, and Apapa Waterworks.
The tender, reportedly issued in September last year, invited private firms to rehabilitate, upgrade, operate and maintain the facilities under a 10-year arrangement.
However, CAPPA says the procurement has been shrouded in non-disclosure.
According to the organisation, the Lagos State PPP Disclosure Framework (2024) mandates proactive publication of feasibility studies, Requests for Proposals, bidder identities, evaluation criteria, contract summaries and fiscal risk assessments on a public portal managed by the Office of Public-Private Partnerships (OPPP).
CAPPA insists none of these documents has been made publicly available since the process began.
Instead, the only substantive information about the deal allegedly surfaced through a foreign industry journal, which reported that 19 proposals were received by October 2025, with awards expected by March 2026.
CAPPA described it as “deeply troubling” that Lagos residents must rely on an overseas paywalled publication to learn about decisions affecting their water supply.
The group further alleged that a parallel move to privatise wastewater infrastructure, including treatment plants in Lekki, is also under way without public disclosure.
Warning of potential tariff hikes and reduced public oversight, CAPPA argued that water PPP arrangements globally have often produced long-term fiscal risks without guaranteeing sustained infrastructure investment.
In a statement signed by the Media & Communications Officer, CAPPA, Robert Egbe, the organisation demanded the immediate suspension of the procurement process, full disclosure of all documentation, independent oversight and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
For millions of Lagos residents, the debate goes beyond policy frameworks, it touches on affordability, access and who ultimately controls one of life’s most essential resources.
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