The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA has accused the Lagos Water Corporation, LWC of breaching transparency rules in its ongoing procurement of mini and micro waterworks under a Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer, BFOT, Public-Private Partnership, PPP model.
In a statement on Sunday, CAPPA alleged that the procurement process, which began with a September 2025 tender for the rehabilitation and operation of several water facilities across Lagos, has been shrouded in secrecy and violates the state’s PPP Disclosure Framework (2024).
The group said the Framework mandates the proactive publication of feasibility studies, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), bidder lists, evaluation criteria, contract summaries, and fiscal risk assessments on a public portal. However, it claimed that none of these documents has been disclosed since the process commenced.
CAPPA noted that key details, including bidder identities, procurement timelines, and award decisions, remain undisclosed on the state’s PPP portal managed by the Office of Public-Private Partnerships.
It further expressed concern that information about the project surfaced mainly through a foreign industry publication, which reported that 19 proposals were received and that awards were expected by March 2026 for a 10-year deal.
Describing the development as troubling, CAPPA said Lagos residents should not have to rely on foreign sources to obtain information about public water infrastructure decisions affecting them.
The organisation warned that secrecy in water PPP arrangements could have implications for affordability, access, and long-term public control. It called for the immediate suspension of the procurement process pending full compliance with disclosure obligations, independent oversight, and broader public consultation.
CAPPA also urged the Lagos State Government to prioritise publicly financed and democratically governed water systems, arguing that transparency and accountability are essential in managing vital public resources.
