By Stephen Simon
A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened coordinated mass resistance across Lagos State if the government attempts to seal residential boreholes or prosecute residents over domestic groundwater extraction.
The coalition, under the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), said the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) was creating unnecessary panic by warning that unauthorised borehole drilling and groundwater extraction could attract property sealing and criminal prosecution.
The groups said the warning, attributed to the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Adeyemo, failed to acknowledge exemptions provided under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.
Citing Section 253(1), the coalition argued that the law permits residents to construct and use boreholes in residential premises for household water supply without obtaining a licence. It also referenced Section 259(2), which it said restricts licensing requirements to boreholes not meant for domestic use.
OWORAC maintained that regulatory enforcement should target commercial and industrial water extractors rather than households struggling to meet their basic water needs.
The coalition said the Lagos Water Corporation had only 34,424 registered connections, representing about 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a state with more than 20 million residents.
It accused the government of neglecting public water infrastructure, including the Iju, Adiyan and Ishasi waterworks, while threatening residents who had resorted to privately funded boreholes.
The groups also accused LASWARCO of treating multinational companies extracting water for commercial purposes more leniently than ordinary households.
They urged the government to clarify that domestic boreholes are exempt from licensing, rehabilitate public water facilities and direct enforcement towards industrial polluters and high-volume commercial water users.
The coalition warned that any attempt by task forces to enter residential communities or seal domestic boreholes would trigger legal action and coordinated mass resistance across Lagos.
