Coalition threatens mass action over Lagos govt’s planned crackdown regarding unlicensed borehole

Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Oluwabukola Adeyemo

A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened mass action across Lagos if the state government attempts to seal residential boreholes or prosecute residents for extracting groundwater without authorisation.

The groups, under the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), said residents had been forced to depend on boreholes because the government had failed to provide adequate public water supply.

In a statement on Wednesday, the coalition asked the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) to clarify its position on domestic boreholes, following its warning that unauthorised drilling and groundwater extraction could lead to the sealing of facilities and prosecution of operators.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that LASWARCO’s Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Adeyemo, had warned that anyone intending to drill a borehole or extract groundwater must first obtain the necessary permits.

Ms Adeyemo explained that unauthorised groundwater extraction was illegal under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017. She also urged residents and community leaders to report unauthorised drilling and extraction through a dedicated hotline.

But the coalition said the law exempts boreholes used for domestic purposes from licensing requirements.

It cited Section 253(1), which allows residents to construct or extend wells and boreholes in residential premises without a licence, provided they are used for household water supply. It also referred to Section 259(2), which requires authorisation for boreholes intended for purposes other than domestic use.

The groups accused LASWARCO of causing unnecessary panic by threatening enforcement without explaining the exemptions in the law.

They argued that the proposed crackdown was unfair given the limited reach of the state’s public water network.

Citing figures from the Lagos Water Corporation, the coalition said the utility had 34,424 registered connections, representing about 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a state with more than 20 million residents.

Even with the corporation’s explanation that the connections serve multiple households, the groups said the network reached only about 8.3 per cent of residents, leaving the vast majority dependent on other sources.

They blamed the government for the poor performance of major waterworks in Iju, Adiyan and Ishashi, saying residents had been left to provide water for themselves.

The coalition also criticised Section 252 of the 2017 law, which it said shields the Lagos Water Corporation from liability for damages arising from the failure or interruption of public water supply.

“A government that actively absolves itself of the constitutional duty to deliver water cannot legitimately turn around to criminalise and extort citizens who were forced to become their own mini-water authorities and service providers,” the groups said.

They stated that the situation was worse in communities where groundwater had been affected by pollution.

According to the coalition, residents of Baruwa, Iludun and Ajegunle face contamination linked to petroleum pipelines, while communities along the Lekki coastal corridor contend with sewage pollution and saltwater intrusion.

It said residents in affected areas were forced to spend heavily on water supplied by private vendors.

The groups also accused LASWARCO of treating industrial water users more leniently than ordinary residents.

They recalled that the commission engaged multinational companies, including Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO, over regulatory compliance in 2024.

According to the coalition, LASWARCO had disclosed that it spent more than seven years discussing compliance with some of the companies despite outstanding issues.

The groups questioned why the commission would allow years of engagement with large companies while threatening households that depend on boreholes for their daily water needs.

They further alleged that the proposed enforcement could weaken community-managed water supply arrangements and push residents towards private water schemes and prepaid metering.

The coalition urged the state government to abandon plans to privatise the Lagos Water Corporation and instead rehabilitate existing waterworks, expand public water supply and strengthen enforcement against large-scale commercial groundwater extraction and industrial pollution.

It also called for reforms in the management of the corporation to give workers, communities, trade unions and civil society organisations a greater role in its operations.

The groups asked LASWARCO to clarify that domestic boreholes and wells were exempt from licensing and assure residents that their properties would not be sealed for extracting water for household use.

They called on community development associations, youth groups, labour unions, artisans and market women across the state to organise against any attempt to shut down domestic boreholes.

The coalition warned that any attempt by LASWARCO or government task forces to enter residential communities, demand permits or seal domestic boreholes would be met with legal action and coordinated mass resistance.

The statement was signed by 25 representatives of civil society organisations, trade unions and community groups, including Adewale Ojo, chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights; Zikora Ibeh of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa; Okechukwu Nwanguma of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre; and Gbenga Komolafe of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria.