A coalition of civil society organisations, community associations and labour unions has warned the Lagos State Government against taking steps to shut down residential boreholes or criminalise residents for accessing groundwater without official permits, threatening widespread protests and legal action if such measures are introduced.
The coalition, operating under the umbrella of the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), comprises more than 50 national and regional organisations.
It declared that any attempt by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) to impose restrictions on household boreholes would be met with coordinated resistance, including legal challenges and mass mobilisation across local government areas in the state.
The group’s reaction followed public apprehension over a statement reportedly credited to LASWARCO Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Adeyemo, suggesting that drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater without government approval constituted an offence punishable by property sealing and criminal prosecution.
In a statement, the coalition called on the regulatory commission to clearly explain its intended enforcement measures, maintaining that provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, specifically exempt domestic boreholes from licensing obligations.
To support its position, the organisations drew attention to Section 253(1) of the law, which allows residents to sink wells and boreholes within residential properties to meet household water needs without securing a licence from the government.
They also pointed to Section 259(2), explaining that the requirement for official authorisation applies to boreholes established for commercial and industrial purposes rather than ordinary domestic consumption.
The coalition accused the state government of placing additional pressure on residents already struggling with economic challenges, arguing that the authorities should address the inadequacy of public water supply before contemplating punitive measures against households that depend on alternative sources.
Citing records from the Lagos Water Corporation, the groups disclosed that the state had only 34,424 registered water connections, translating to approximately 1.03 per cent direct coverage of a population exceeding 20 million people.
They further maintained that over 91 per cent of Lagos residents remained inadequately covered by the public water distribution network, despite substantial government spending on water infrastructure over the years.
The organisations also questioned what they described as inconsistent application of regulatory standards, alleging that households were being threatened with sanctions while multinational businesses, including Nigerian Bottling Company, Guinness Nigeria and FrieslandCampina WAMCO, had reportedly enjoyed extended periods of engagement with regulators over industrial compliance matters.
Beyond the controversy surrounding borehole regulations, the coalition expressed concern about the deteriorating quality of groundwater in several Lagos communities, specifically identifying Baruwa, Iludun and Ajegunle as areas facing contamination challenges. It also highlighted sewage pollution and saltwater intrusion in coastal communities as growing threats to access to safe drinking water.
As part of its recommendations, the coalition urged the state government to concentrate on restoring dysfunctional public water facilities, expanding access to safe and affordable water and strengthening regulatory oversight of industrial establishments and commercial operators responsible for extracting large volumes of groundwater.
The groups further rejected proposals to privatise the Lagos Water Corporation, insisting that access to clean water should be treated as an essential public service rather than an avenue for commercial exploitation.
The coalition also appealed to community associations, organised labour, youth groups, artisans and market associations to strengthen their collective efforts against any proposed action targeting residential boreholes.
It warned that any deployment of enforcement teams into communities to demand permits from residents or shut down domestic boreholes would provoke a coordinated response involving court action and mass mobilisation throughout Lagos State.
