The Lagos State Government has again reiterated its commitment to ensure all residents have access to safe, affordable water and good sanitation services across the metropolis.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Mr. Mahamood Adegbite stated this during the inaugural Lagos Water Partnership – Steering Committee Meeting held at Alausa, Ikeja.
He noted that the State Government brought together high-capacity institutional expertise for productive deliberations and decisive actions in the water sector.
He said the meeting underscores collective commitment to transforming Lagos into a water-resilient megacity, adding that every decision made at the meeting would make an impact on millions of Lagosians.
Mr. Adegbiye explained that the Technical Committee met on June 26, 2025, and delivered excellent progress on key initiatives, stressing that the team presented findings from the Legal Feasibility Study, and provided comprehensive updates on the Adiyan II CPA and 250-Toilet Project.
He emphasised that the proposal for 100 Public Facility units containing 10,000 toilet units across Lagos communities underscores the commitment to ending open defecation in Lagos State, while creating investment opportunities.
“The seven vision statements for Lagos’ water resilience – improved mapping, enhanced infrastructure data, expanded access, stronger investment frameworks, upgraded sanitation, digital transformation, and reduced water losses – require the high-level coordination only we can provide” he said.
While noting that ARUP’s presentation on the City Water Resilience Approach showed remarkable progress from stakeholder mapping to current investment alignment strategies, the PS urged the Steering Committee members to translate the technical insights into strategic action, saying their roles would review investment plans, appraise Technical Committee submissions, and make informed recommendations to the Advisory Council.
In her remarks, the Country Director, WaterAid, Ms. Evelyn Mere, said the collaboration through the Lagos Water Partnership exemplifies how partnerships between government, private sector development organisations and communities can unlock much-needed investment and deliver scalable impacts.
The Country Director, who spoke through the Lagos State Team Lead, WaterAid, Dr. Adebayo Alao, added that WaterAid stands ready to continually support the journey, by lending the expertise, networks and resources to help move from planning to meaningful and measurable results.
The Director, Water Resources Department, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. James Oyedele, who spoke on the Roles, Expectations and Recommendations of the Steering Committee, stated that the PPP projects would be structured to include clauses that would debar successive governments in the state from tampering with/terminating PPP projects running in line with the contract terms and conditions.
He added that the aforementioned would give assurance to private project developers and investors of continuous performance by the government even when there is a change in administration.
Present at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Tajudeen Gaji, some members of the Body of Permanent Secretaries; General Manager, LASWAMO, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi; Executive Director Operations, Water Corporation, Engr. Omolanke Taiwo and Captains of Industries from the private sector, amongst others.
Reporting by Yemisi Dada