Sanwo-Olu: Less than 40% of Lagos residents have access to clean, safe water

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, says less than 40 percent of the state’s residents lack access to clean and safe water.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed this at the second edition of the annual international water conference organised by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), held at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island.

Represented by Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos deputy governor, Sanwo-Olu said the government is making necessary efforts to ensure that residents have access to clean and safe water.

He said the phase II of the Adiyan water project will soon become operational, as 80 percent of the work has been completed.

“The Lagos State Water Supply Master Plan estimates daily water demand in the city at 540 million gallons per day (MGD), but production by the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) stands at 210 MGD. This shows a clear deficit of over 300MGD, which translates to less than 40% access to clean, and safe water,” he said.

“As a government, we are not oblivious of this gap and its consequences on the health of our populace. In order to close this gap, I toured the Lagos Water Corporation facilities at Adiyan, Iju and Akute at the inception of my administration.

“We have expended resources on these facilities and I am happy to tell you that the Adiyan II plant that will bring additional 70 MGD to the already existing water capacity will soon become operational.

He explained that the theme of the conference: ‘Water Scarcity and Investment Opportunities in Megacities: A Case Study of Lagos State’, was aimed at expanding water security ideas and creating investment opportunities.

“As you know, health and environment are two key pillars of my administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S. development agenda, and this conference is vital to the accomplishment of some of our key deliverables for these pivotal sectors,” he said.

“With the sustainable development goal six as our anchor, we have committed major resources to groundwater quality control, drinking water quality regulation, and packaged water service oversight. All these are being done to improve Lagosians’ productivity and quality of life.

“Through LASWARCO, we have been able to curb unwholesome water production and indiscriminate drilling of boreholes, which is a major contributor to lower aquifer and flooding.”