Africa Water Vision 2063: Coalition Warns Against Water Privatisation In Africa
As African leaders intensify efforts to address water insecurity across the continent, concerns are mounting that the increasing push for private sector involvement in water management could place profit above people’s access to safe and affordable water.
The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has cautioned African governments and regional institutions against embracing water privatisation under the implementation of the Africa Water Vision (AWV) 2063, warning that such policies could weaken public accountability and worsen inequality.
In a statement issued after a regional consultation hosted in Abuja by the African Ministers’ Council on Water, the coalition expressed concern over what it described as the exclusion of affected communities, civil society organisations and water workers from critical discussions on the future of water governance in Africa.
OWORAC warned that increasing reliance on public-private partnerships and blended financing models could open the door to widespread privatisation of water services across the continent.
According to the coalition, experiences from several African countries have shown that privatised water systems often lead to higher tariffs, weak oversight, deteriorating labour conditions and unequal access to water, especially for poor communities.
The group stressed that water should be treated as a public good and a fundamental human right rather than an economic commodity driven by corporate interests.
It also raised concerns over Senegal’s urban water management system involving Sen’Eau, a company reportedly controlled largely by French multinational Suez, citing allegations of rising water costs, poor service delivery and intimidation of unionised workers.
Referencing Nigeria’s situation, OWORAC noted that millions of citizens still lack reliable access to clean water despite ongoing reforms and policy discussions within the sector.
The coalition therefore urged African governments to strengthen public water systems, reject policies promoting privatisation and ensure meaningful participation of communities, workers and civil society groups in decisions concerning water governance.
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