Less than 40% of Lagos residents have access to water – Governor

Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State on Wednesday said a new water infrastructure, Adiyan II, established to address the gap between water demand and supply will provide 70 million gallons per day.

He said less than 40 per cent of the residents in the state have access to potable water.

The governor spoke at the Lagos International Water Conference (LIWAC 2021), tagged ‘Water security and investment opportunities in megacities: A case of Lagos State.’

Mr Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, said his administration is not oblivious of the water challenges faced by residents in the state.

“The Lagos State Water Supply Master Plan estimates daily water demand in the city at 540 million gallons per day (MGD) but production by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) stands at 210 MGD.

“This shows a clear deficit of over 300MGD, which translates to less than 40% access to clean, and safe water,” he said.

“As a government, we are not oblivious of this gap and its consequences on the health of our populace. In order to close this gap, I toured the Lagos Water Corporation Facilities at Adiyan, Iju and Akute at the inception of my administration.

“We have expended resources on these facilities and I am happy to tell you that the Adiyan II plant that will bring an additional 70 MGD to the already existing water capacity will soon become operational.”

The governor noted he has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with WaterAid to demonstrate that his administration is committed to providing “affordable and sustainable clean water.”

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the conference is “integral to shaping the future of water security, and wastewater management” in the state.

However, he said the challenges faced by the state “remains how to make our people less vulnerable to poor sanitation, how to expand water and wastewater services, and how to maximize the investment opportunities in the water sector.”

He also said the government, through the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, has been able to curb unwholesome water production and indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in the state.

Mr Sanwo-Olu announced that a testing and reference laboratory, which will contribute to the prevention of waterborne diseases will be commissioned soon.

He added that the laboratory will make Lagos the first African “megacity to adopt leading technologies in the community-based off-grid water supply.”

The Commissioner for Environment and Water resources, Tunji Bello, said the conference will profer “solutions and results capable of unbundling the obstacles to financial viability and access to clean water and sanitation through experimental knowledge.”

Also at the event were the Executive Director, Global Water Leader Group, United Kingdom, Williams Muhairwe; Country Director WaterAid, Evelyn Mere, and others.