Public Private Partnership, PPP, remains the feasible panacea to improve Urban Water supply in Lagos to ensure residents have access to affordable and quality potable water.
Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, Ms Evelyn Mere, stated this at a high level stakeholders engagement for top government officials and key stakeholders in the Water and Sanitation sector held at Ikeja.
Ms Mere commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu for assenting the WASH policy in February last year which shows his commitment to strengthening the sector but however expressed dismay that implementation is yet to commence.
While noting that over forty eight water works in Lagos are moribund, Ms Mere hinted that Akilo waterworks which is being rehabilitated by WaterAid Nigeria would be inaugurated next month with a call on the state government to use that as a model to rescusitate others.
“It is for this reason we are working with the Corporation to first put in a place a performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for first 100
days to see the direction of successful operation while perfecting plans to hand it over to a private firm for operation and maintenance”. She said
“I will equally call on the private sector partners and would be investors
United Nation Universal Declaration on water Supply in 2008, Noone shall be denied to work and cooperate with the Regulatory Authority in the introduction and access to clean water on the account of poverty or affordability”
Managing Director, Lagos State Water Corporation, Mr Mukhtaar Tijani, acknowledged the many challenges in provision of clean, safe and affordable water supply to residents, lauded WaterAid Nigeria for the bold step in rehabilitating Akilo for the benefit of millions of residents in Lagos.
He expressed confidence that supply of clean water would reduce spread of diseases and sicknesses among residents with a call on other private sector to join hands with government to achieve the SDG goal 6.
” The Lagos State government remains committed and let me reiterate that the support of the private sector is inevitable in bringing in innovation,
government has its role in providing the right enabling environment to guarantee financial resources and ensuring sustainable service provision”
“The private sector investment is protected, the private sector is to be accountable to the customers they serve and ensure that their business venture are not set up for the sole purpose of profiteering”
” The role of an
independent and autonomous regulator if all of these are to be achieved cannot be
over-emphasised.”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Water Resources, Mr Rotimi Akodu, acknowledged the support of the private sector in bringing innovation, crowding in financial resources and ensuring sustainable public services in the WASH sector, saying government alone cannot provide the needed public service in WASH to the over twenty four million residents and called for more support in form of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Reporting by Yemisi Dada