The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition, OWORAC has cautioned African governments and regional institutions against increasing water privatisation across the continent, warning that the trend could weaken public accountability and further limit access to safe and affordable water for vulnerable communities.
The coalition raised the concerns following a recent regional consultation held in Abuja by the African Ministers’ Council on Water, AMCOW as part of ongoing engagements on the First Implementation Plan (2026–2033) of the Africa Water Vision, AWV 2063 and Policy.
The consultation brought together representatives of the African Union, AU, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, development partners, and regional institutions, ahead of the African Union’s designation of 2026 as the Year of “Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
In a statement issued after the meeting, OWORAC expressed concern over what it described as a growing emphasis on private sector participation, blended financing models, and public-private partnerships in Africa’s water sector.
According to the coalition, such models have historically resulted in rising water tariffs, weakened public oversight, poor labour conditions, and unequal access to water services in several African countries.
“Water is first and foremost a public good and a human right,” the coalition stated, warning that policies prioritising investor interests over universal access and public accountability could deepen inequality and worsen water insecurity for poor and vulnerable populations.
OWORAC also raised concerns over what it described as the exclusion of affected communities, civil society groups, and water workers’ unions from the Abuja consultation process.
The coalition noted that although the Africa Water Vision 2063 framework emphasises inclusive participation, the recent consultation appeared to be dominated mainly by government officials and regional institutions.
“The people most affected by water shortages and sanitation failures must not be sidelined from decisions about Africa’s water future,” the coalition stated, stressing that community participation must be “real, structured, and guaranteed.”
The group further warned that water workers across the continent increasingly face victimisation, marginalisation, and precarious working conditions under privatised systems, insisting that workers should be recognised as key stakeholders in water governance.
OWORAC also criticised the lack of clarity surrounding the financing and implementation mechanisms of the Africa Water Vision 2063, especially safeguards against excessive private sector control of public water infrastructure.
The coalition referenced Senegal’s water management model as a case study, noting that water distribution in the country is currently managed by Sen’Eau, a company largely controlled by French multinational firm Suez.
According to the coalition, the arrangement has attracted criticisms over rising water costs, declining service delivery, transparency concerns, and allegations of intimidation against unionised workers advocating improved working conditions.
OWORAC also pointed to Nigeria’s water sector challenges, noting that millions of Nigerians still rely on private water vendors, boreholes, and informal water sources due to years of neglect and underinvestment in public water systems.
The coalition argued that privatisation and commercialisation efforts within Nigeria’s water sector have failed to significantly improve access for ordinary citizens, while increasing financial pressure on households.
OWORAC therefore called on African governments, development partners, and regional institutions to ensure that implementation of the Africa Water Vision 2063 remains transparent, inclusive, and rooted in public accountability.
The coalition urged governments to strengthen public water systems, reject policies encouraging privatisation, and guarantee meaningful participation of communities, workers, and civil society organisations in water governance decisions.
“Water is a public good,” the coalition stated. “Its future must be determined by the people who depend on it for life and dignity, not by profit.”
