A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened coordinated mass resistance across Lagos State if the government moves to seal domestic boreholes or prosecute residents for extracting groundwater without authorisation.
The coalition, under the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), comprising more than 50 national and regional organisations, said any attempt by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) to criminalise household boreholes would be resisted through legal action and mass mobilisation across the state’s local government areas.
The warning followed public concerns over a statement attributed to LASWARCO Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Adeyemo, which reportedly described drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater without government authorisation as illegal and liable to property sealing and criminal prosecution.
In a statement, the coalition demanded an immediate clarification of the commission’s enforcement plans, arguing that the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law expressly exempts domestic boreholes from licensing requirements.
The groups cited Section 253(1) of the law, which permits residents to construct wells and boreholes in residential premises for household water supply without obtaining a licence.
They also referenced Section 259(2), which requires authorisation for boreholes intended for commercial and industrial use.
The coalition accused the government of threatening struggling households despite its failure to provide adequate public water infrastructure.
It cited Lagos Water Corporation records showing 34,424 registered connections, representing approximately 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a state with more than 20 million residents.
According to the groups, more than 91 per cent of the population remains inadequately served by the public water network, despite major investments in water infrastructure.
They also criticised what they described as unequal regulatory treatment of households and multinational companies, including Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO, alleging that the commission had previously allowed years of engagement over industrial compliance issues.
The coalition further raised concerns about groundwater contamination in communities such as Baruwa, Iludun and Ajegunle, as well as sewage pollution and saline intrusion in coastal areas.
It urged the state government to rehabilitate existing waterworks, prioritise universal access to safe public water and direct stricter enforcement towards industrial polluters and high-volume commercial water extractors.
The groups also opposed the proposed privatisation of the Lagos Water Corporation, insisting that water access should remain a fundamental public service.
They called on community associations, labour unions, youth organisations, artisans and market groups to remain organised against any attempt to seal residential boreholes.
The coalition warned that any entry by task forces into communities to demand permits or seal domestic boreholes would trigger coordinated legal and mass action across Lagos.
dailytrust.com
