CAPPA Commends Lagos on Adiyan II water Treatment Plant
Tracy Ohovwore, Benin City
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has applauded the Lagos State Government for showing its deep concern for its citizens by funding critical water infrastructure in the state, particularly the Adiyan II Water Treatment Plant.
According to a statement issued over the weekend, it revealed that the steady progress on the project—12 years in the making—portrays that state-led and funded solutions solely remains one of the best measures towards expanding public water supply and to ensure clean, safe and affordable water for the people of Lagos.
Following the reports from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s recent visit to the facility, it was disclosed that the Adiyan II is now 80% complete and remains on track for its 2027 completion timeline.
In a display of the state government commitment to providing clean water for the people, an additional N20 billion naira was allocated in its 2025 fiscal budget for the project completion.
CAPPA further commended the state’s effort urging that the Lagos water sector should not be handed to private profiteers as this will undermine the massive investments already made by the state.
According to the statement; “We strongly urge the Lagos State Government to resist any temptation to privatise or concession the Adiyan II project and other water treatment facilities across the state. Water is not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. If Adiyan II or any other public water facility is handed over to private corporations, Lagosians will suffer—higher tariffs, restricted access, and corporate exploitation,’ the nongovernmental organisation warned.
It further cited the failed privatisation experiments across Africa, where foreign-backed water projects collapsed due to skyrocketing costs, contract failures, and profit-driven policies that left millions without access to clean and safe water.
Furthermore, CAPPA’S executive director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, highlighted the recent withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from Lagos’ water sector as a critical lesson.”What is happening with USAID is a textbook example of why governments should never outsource critical infrastructure to external financiers with hidden agendas.
“The Lagos State Government must recognise this as a blessing in disguise and take full control of its water sector rather than leaving it vulnerable to shifting donor priorities, where financial commitments are subject to geopolitical agendas, austerity measures, and changing domestic policies in donor countries, all of which can leave both governments and communities stranded.
”Also, it was revealed that Under the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Lagos State and USAID, no fewer than five mini waterworks were slated for rehabilitation with private sector involvement as a key component. However, USAID pulls back its funding which have led to the weakening local decision-making power over vital utilities.
“With USAID gone, the Lagos Water Corporation’s Managing Director, Engr. Mukthar Tijjani has confirmed that the state is now seeking funding from other international agencies, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and France’s Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to sustain water infrastructure projects.
CAPPA raised the alarm about this development, warning that these financial institutions have a long history of imposing harsh commercial conditions on public utilities.
“JICA and AFD have a track record of attaching dangerous conditions to their loans and grants—cost-recovery tariffs, bulk water purchase agreements, and privatisation clauses and mandates that prioritise corporate profits over public welfare.
AFD, in particular, has close ties to Suez, a corporation notorious for its aggressive pro-privatisation stance and the devastation it leaves in its wake. If Lagos aligns itself with these buccaneers, residents will soon be burdened with unaffordable water tariffs while the state loses control over its own infrastructure,” CAPPA cautioned.
CAPPA further encouraged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu not be discouraged with the withdrawal of USAID but to seize the opportunity to make a significant difference in keeping Lagos’ water under full public control.
