Groups Threaten Mass Resistance Over Planned Borehole Crackdown in Lagos
Groups Threaten Mass Resistance Over Planned Borehole Crackdown in Lagos
Coalition demands clarification of domestic borehole exemptions, accuses government of neglecting public water supply.
A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened mass resistance across Lagos State over plans to crack down on unauthorised boreholes, accusing the government of criminalising residents’ survival efforts amid persistent failure to provide adequate public water supply.
The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), a network comprising more than 50 national and regional organisations and communities, warned that any attempt by state task forces to seal domestic boreholes would trigger coordinated mass action across all local government areas of the state.
The coalition’s position follows public concerns generated by a statement attributed to the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Oluwabukola Adeyemo, warning that drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater without government authorisation could attract property sealing and criminal prosecution.
The Commission had also introduced a dedicated reporting hotline, urging residents and community leaders to report unauthorised drilling and groundwater extraction.
Reacting to the development, OWORAC called on LASWARCO to urgently clarify the scope of its enforcement measures, saying the regulator’s sweeping warning had created confusion, anxiety and fear, particularly among residents of low-income communities.
The coalition insisted that any enforcement exercise must be guided by the provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017, which it said expressly exempts domestic boreholes from certain licensing requirements.
According to the groups, Section 253(1) of the law provides that residents may construct, dig or extend a well or borehole in residential premises without obtaining a licence from the Lagos State Water Corporation, provided the water extracted is necessary for household domestic use.
They also cited Section 259(2), which they said distinguishes domestic water extraction from commercial and industrial abstraction, for which appropriate licences are required.
The coalition accused LASWARCO of creating unnecessary panic by allegedly failing to adequately communicate these exemptions while threatening indiscriminate enforcement.
It further argued that the proposed crackdown was unjustifiable in view of the limited reach of the state’s public water infrastructure.
The groups cited official disclosures by the Lagos Water Corporation indicating that its network has approximately 34,424 registered connections, representing about 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a state with a population exceeding 20 million.
Even under the corporation’s broader estimate that the connections serve multi-tenant properties covering approximately 8.3 per cent of residents, the coalition maintained that more than 91 per cent of the population remained inadequately served by the public water network.
“Public taps across the state have been dry for decades, while massive, multi-billion-naira waterworks at Iju, Adiyan and Ishasi remain in an embarrassing state of operational underperformance,” the coalition said.
It also referenced Section 252 of the 2017 law, which it said shields the Lagos Water Corporation from liability for damages or compensation arising from the failure or interruption of public water supply.
The coalition argued that the government could not absolve itself of responsibility for providing water while seeking to penalise residents forced to develop alternative sources of 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 despite paying heavy taxes to the state,” the statement said.
Water Crisis Deepens in Communities
The coalition described domestic boreholes as a necessity arising from the state’s failure to provide reliable public water, noting that several communities face additional environmental challenges that make groundwater unsafe.
It identified Baruwa, Iludun and Ajegunle as areas affected by prolonged petroleum pipeline contamination, which it said had polluted underground water sources.
The groups also raised concerns about coastal communities, particularly along the Lekki corridor, where poor drainage, inadequate centralised wastewater management and saline intrusion have reportedly compromised groundwater quality.
According to the coalition, affected residents have been forced to spend substantial amounts purchasing water from private vendors, worsening the burden of water poverty on households.
However, in communities where groundwater remains usable, residents have continued to sustain neighbourhoods through communal arrangements, including sharing water through extended taps, pooling resources for electricity and fuel, and maintaining pumping systems collectively.
OWORAC urged the state government to support such community-led initiatives rather than criminalise them, describing the arrangements as evidence of local capacity for cooperation and collective service delivery.
The coalition argued that these grassroots efforts challenged the government’s position that private-sector participation and commercial water schemes were the only viable solutions to Lagos’ water crisis.
Groups Accuse Regulator of Double Standards
The coalition also accused LASWARCO of applying different standards to ordinary residents and multinational corporations engaged in large-scale water extraction.
It recalled regulatory engagements involving Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO in late 2024, claiming the Commission had acknowledged spending more than seven years in discussions with the companies despite alleged compliance challenges.
The groups questioned why industrial water users were allegedly given years of diplomatic engagement while households faced threats of task force operations, property sealing and criminal prosecution.
They maintained that large-scale commercial extraction posed a greater threat to communal groundwater resources than domestic boreholes used by households for daily survival.
The coalition further alleged that the proposed enforcement could pave the way for the introduction of state-backed private water schemes and prepaid metering systems, warning against what it described as the creation of a captive market for desperate residents.
It insisted that access to water, which it described as a fundamental human right, must not be subjected to discriminatory or exclusionary commercial arrangements.
Coalition Demands Urgent Clarification, Water Sector Reforms
To address growing concerns, OWORAC called on LASWARCO to immediately clarify that domestic boreholes and wells are exempt from licensing requirements under the 2017 law and that residential properties would not be subjected to sealing, harassment or prosecution for lawful domestic groundwater use.
The coalition also urged the Lagos State Government to abandon plans to privatise the Lagos Water Corporation and instead prioritise universal access to safe and reliable piped water.
It called for stricter enforcement against high-volume commercial water extractors and industrial polluters, alongside the rehabilitation of existing waterworks and improved distribution infrastructure across communities.
The groups further demanded comprehensive governance reforms in the water sector, including transparent management structures that give workers, communities, trade unions and civil society organisations a direct role in the administration of public water utilities.
In its concluding remarks, the coalition called on Community Development Associations, youth councils, labour unions, artisans, market women and neighbourhood organisations across Lagos to remain vigilant and mobilise in defence of their access to water.
It warned that any attempt by LASWARCO or armed task forces to enter residential communities, demand unlawful permits or seal domestic boreholes would be met with legal action, public mobilisation and coordinated mass resistance.
The coalition said the proposed action would continue until the state’s commitment to universal public water supply was restored.
