CAPPA Warns Lagos Water Concession, Prepaid Meters Could Deepen Crisis
Lagos residents could face higher costs and less reliable access to water if the state proceeds with planned concession arrangements and expands prepaid metering, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has warned.
The organisation raised the concern following the Lagos State Government’s one-year Memorandum of Understanding with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and Naston Engineering Nigeria Limited to develop a water infrastructure programme in the Lekki Concession Area.
CAPPA said the agreement could pave the way for private control over water distribution, metering and tariffs, while criticising the government for failing to make the MoU and details of public consultations available.
The group also opposed the expansion of prepaid water meters, warning that automatic disconnections when purchased credit runs out could leave low-income households without access to an essential service.
CAPPA’s Water Programme Officer, Holiness Segun-Olufemi, said Lagos should address years of underinvestment, poor maintenance and weak distribution networks by strengthening public infrastructure rather than transferring control to private operators.
The organisation cited complaints from residents of Akilo and Baruwa, where prepaid meters have reportedly been linked to intermittent supply, low pressure, delayed activation and discrepancies in purchased water volumes.
CAPPA urged the Lagos Government to halt further steps towards concession and suspend prepaid-meter expansion.
It also demanded the publication of the CHEC-Naston MoU and a publicly funded plan to rehabilitate water treatment plants, pipelines, reservoirs and distribution networks.
The organisation warned that Lagos could repeat challenges associated with electricity privatisation, where consumers continue to contend with rising costs and unreliable service.
CAPPA maintained that investment in Lagos water infrastructure is urgently needed but should strengthen the Lagos Water Corporation and guarantee universal access rather than prioritise private profit.
