Demand 03
Reject Water Privatization and Commodification
Across West Africa, millions of people already experience water insecurity not simply because water is unavailable, but because reliable access is uneven and often unaffordable. In many African cities, low-income households without reliable public connections depend on vendors, tankers and other informal providers and can consequently pay more for water than better-served households. Historical evidence from Accra illustrates this inequality; public connections were available to approximately 80% of residents in the richest neighbourhoods but only 16% in low-income neighbourhoods (Cavanaugha et al., 2023). This manifesto does not reject private-sector participation, investment or innovation. Instead, we reject models in which commercial interests override the public interest, undermine affordability or transfer control of essential water infrastructure without strong democratic accountability. We demand that water remain a public good, governed democratically and equitably rather than treated primarily as a commodity for profit.
Call To Action
Private companies providing water services must operate under clear public-interest regulations and enforceable service standards, while governments retain responsibility for ensuring universal and affordable access to water.
Governments should establish affordability safeguards, including targeted subsidies and social tariffs where necessary.
Governments should prioritize public financing for water infrastructure rather than relying on privatization to fill investment gaps.
Communities should be able to see how water services are managed, what companies are paid and what obligations they have to consumers therefore, all agreements between governments and private water companies should be publicly accessible.
Strategic water assets must remain subject to public-interest protections, therefore, governments should prevent arrangements that give private companies excessive or exclusive control over critical water infrastructure and resources.
Governments must ensure that no household is forced to pay excessive prices because of failures in public water provision.
Local water users should have accessible mechanisms to challenge poor services and unfair practices, therefore Communities should have meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions about water pricing, infrastructure, service delivery and resource management.
Governments should strengthen controls on permits and licenses for commercial extraction of groundwater and surface water.
Public and private water providers should meet clear standards for reliability, affordability, safety and environmental performance.
References
[6] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/food-storage-as-business-opportunity/
[7] https://www.thecable.ng/fao-14-4m-nigerians-facing-food-crisis-amid-insecurity-rising-inflation