A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened coordinated mass action across Lagos if the state government moves to seal domestic boreholes, arguing that residents should not be penalised for sourcing water amid inadequate public supply.
The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition, OWORAC, a network of more than 50 national and regional organisations and communities, issued the warning following public concerns over a statement attributed to the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Oluwabukola Adeyemo.
Adeyemo had reportedly warned that drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater without state authorisation could attract property sealing and criminal prosecution.
The Commission also announced a reporting hotline for residents to report unauthorised drilling and water abstraction.
In response, the coalition demanded immediate clarification of the Commission’s enforcement plans, saying the warning had created confusion and fear, particularly in working-class communities.
The groups argued that the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017 exempts domestic boreholes from licensing requirements.
They cited Section 253(1), which permits the construction and use of wells and boreholes in residential premises for household water supply without obtaining a licence from the Lagos State Water Corporation.
The coalition also referenced Section 259(2), which it said limits licensing requirements to boreholes intended for purposes other than domestic use.
It accused LASWARCO of creating unnecessary panic by failing to communicate these exemptions while threatening enforcement against residents.
The groups questioned the planned crackdown against the backdrop of what they described as inadequate public water infrastructure, citing Lagos Water Corporation figures showing 34,424 registered connections, which they said represented about 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a city of more than 20 million people.
Even under the corporation’s broader estimate that the connections serve multi-tenant properties covering about 8.3 per cent of residents, the coalition argued that more than 91 per cent of the population remained outside direct public water coverage.
It also criticised the operational performance of waterworks at Iju, Adiyan and Ishasi, alleging that residents had endured prolonged shortages despite substantial public investment in water infrastructure.
The coalition further cited Section 252 of the 2017 law, which it said shields the Lagos Water Corporation from paying damages or compensation for public water supply failures or interruptions.
It argued that residents should not face criminalisation or alleged extortion for providing their own water after years of inadequate public supply.
The groups said domestic boreholes had become a necessity for many households, although groundwater was unsafe in some areas due to contamination, sewage pollution and saline intrusion.
They identified Baruwa, Iludun and Ajegunle as areas affected by petroleum pipeline contamination, while expressing concerns about groundwater conditions in coastal communities such as Lekki.
The coalition said residents in affected areas faced additional costs purchasing water from vendors, while communities with usable groundwater often relied on shared taps and collective contributions to operate pumps.
It urged the state government to support such community-led water initiatives rather than dismantle them.
The groups also accused LASWARCO of applying a more lenient approach to industrial water users than to households, recalling regulatory engagements with Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO in late 2024.
According to the coalition, the Commission had acknowledged spending more than seven years in discussions with industrial operators over compliance issues, a contrast it described as unfair to residents facing possible enforcement action.
The coalition also expressed concern that the proposed crackdown could force communities into private prepaid water schemes, warning against making access to water dependent on residents’ ability to pay.
It called on LASWARCO to clarify that domestic boreholes and wells are exempt under the 2017 law and guarantee that residential properties would not face sealing, harassment or prosecution for household water extraction.
The groups urged the government to prioritise universal access to safe piped water, rehabilitate existing waterworks, strengthen enforcement against high-volume commercial abstractors and industrial polluters, and introduce governance reforms that give workers, communities, trade unions and civil society organisations a role in managing the Lagos Water Corporation.
They also called on community development associations, youth councils, labour unions, artisans, market women and neighbourhood groups to organise in defence of domestic water access.
The coalition warned that any attempt by LASWARCO or task forces to enter communities and seal domestic boreholes would trigger legal action and coordinated mass resistance across Lagos.