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Lagos communities decry water scarcity, demand govt intervention
Some Lagos residents have called on the state government to make potable water accessible to reduce the huge amount of money spent on buying water.
They disclosed this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos, against the World Water Day celebrated annually in March.
They urged the state government to reduce the spread of water-borne diseases in the state by ensuring the provision of portable water.
According to the World Health Organisation, water scarcity affects one in three people in the African region and is getting worse with population growth, urbanisation, and an increase in household and industrial uses.
While some residents attributed the lack of potable water in the state to poor management and inadequate infrastructure, others linked it to a lack of enough investment and human capital.
A resident in Akowonjo Local Government Area, Mr Ibrahim Mustapha, a businessman, who spoke with NAN, expressed dissatisfaction with the scarcity of potable water in their neighbourhood.
“I don’t know why water remains a big challenge in a state that is surrounded by large bodies of water. I am a 54-year-old man, and I can tell you that the last time I enjoyed public-sourced potable water was in my youth days.
We have had to rely on a privately generated water supply, which is not a good thing,” he said.
He called on the state government to make the water issue a priority and get it done once and for all.
Another resident, Mrs Folake Davies, a dentist who lives around Yaba, told NAN that the unavailability of potable water had led to increased household expenditure.
“This has resulted in buying sachet water for drinking and borehole water in gallons for other domestic use. This has added an extra financial burden on residents who are already struggling and posing environmental challenges like plastic pollution.
“Water scarcity also challenges the ability of residents to keep up with sanitation and healthful living habits, while predisposing them to water-borne diseases if the use of contaminated water continues,” she said.
She called on the state government to find a lasting solution to this menace as it affects residents’ way of life.
Another Makoko resident, Mr Saheed Abbas, an artisan, lamented the hardship that members of the community faced in accessing potable water, which had made its retailing a lucrative business.
“Before residents can access clean water in Makoko, they have to trek for a long distance. Some of them even use motorcycles to get clean water,” he said.
Abbas appealed to the state government to make life easy for them with the resuscitation of potable water in the community.
A resident living in the Igando area of the state, Mrs Lydia Anjorin, a business manager, was sad with the amount of money she spent on purchasing water in the area.
“This scarcity makes us spend significant amounts of money on bottled water and rely on potentially contaminated water sources, impacting our health and hygiene.
We demand that the authorities take steps to improve water access by building new water treatment plants, repairing existing systems, and implementing water conservation measures,” she said.
Mr Kayode Aderibigbe, a Lekki resident, expressed his frustration with the area’s water shortage.
“We often go without water for days, and when it’s available, it’s not even suitable for cooking or drinking. I was recently forced to relocate my family to my in-laws’ home due to a two-day water outage. I had to stay at one of my properties in Magodo just to take a bath.
The situation in Lekki is really disheartening,” Aderibigbe said.
However, for Mrs Ese Ayanwun, a resident of Lekki, access to clean water has become a reality in her area due to the efforts of the local water works.
Ayanwun said a water storage tank had been installed in her house that provides them with a reliable source of clean water.
“This initiative has brought significant relief compared to when we had previously struggled with water scarcity and contamination,” she said.
NAN reports that other areas such as Ajah, Ajao Estate, Ebute Metta, FESTAC and others also lack access to potable water.
A general physician, Dr Tunji Akintade, says lack of access to safe water leads to a wide range of health problems, including waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and increased vulnerability to infections.
Akintade stressed that safe and adequate water facilitates the practice of hygiene, critical to prevent morbidity and mortality, especially among children and vulnerable populations.
According to him, contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and numerous neglected tropical diseases.
“Safe and readily available water is crucial for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic use, or food production,” he said.
He urged the government to improve access to clean and safe water to enhance the health of citizens.
However, efforts to reach out to the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Water Corporation, Mr Anifowoshe Rasaq, for his comment proved abortive as his number has not been responsive as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, NAN reports that the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, in a report, has assured Lagos residents of a constant water supply by 2027.
Wahab said this when he took a tour of the Adiyan Phase 2 ongoing water project at Iju area of the state.
Wahab, who was impressed with the ongoing work, expressed optimism that Lagos residents would soon be enjoying uninterrupted water supply.
He said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, had decided that the water problem must be solved.
“To solve the water problem, we had to come to Adiyan 2, which is a 70 million gallons per day project and the biggest. We have mobilised the contractor, so we just came here to see what they are doing so far, and I am glad the media men took the walk too.
“With 70 million gallons, and then we have Iju with Adiyan 1 alongside micro and mini water works, the majority of Lagos houses and homes will have pipe-borne water, which is our target, and we are looking at sometime in 2027,” he said.
NAN
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IGP Egbetokun Pays Condolence Visit to Arase’s Family
During the course of his illustrious Policing career, IGP Arase served in various capacities including Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to three IGPs between 2002 and 2008, Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, pioneer Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and DIG Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) respectively.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased former IGP Solomon Ehigiator Arase, in Abuja today.
IGP Egbetokun extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, to the family, friends, and former colleagues of the deceased IGP Arase.
Kayode Egbetokun acknowledges the deep pain of this loss and prays for comfort, strength, and peace for all in this time of grief, while appreciating the contributions of the late Police boss to Police reforms and National Security.
The memory of late IGP Arase will forever remain etched in the heart of the Force and the country he so faithfully served.
Arase died in the early hours of Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness.
The news of his death was officially communicated to IGP Kayode Egbetokun, through his first son, Mr Solomon Osabohien Arase jnr on Sunday.
BIOGRAPHY
IGP Solomon Arase was born on the 21st of June, 1956, in Owan West Local Government of Edo State.
He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he earned his first degree in Political science.
He later obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Benin, a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Lagos and a Ph.D in Public Law from the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State.
Arase was enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on the 1st of December, 1981.
During the course of his illustrious Policing career, IGP Arase served in various capacities including Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to three IGPs between 2002 and 2008, Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, pioneer Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and DIG Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) respectively.
He was appointed the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police in April 2015 and retired on the 21st of June 2016.
He was thereafter appointed the Chairman Police Service Commission on the 24th January, 2023 by Late President Muhammadu Buhari, a post which he held until the 10th of June, 2024.
He was also a Fellow of the Defence College and a member of the prestigious Body of Benchers.
During his tenure as the Inspector-General of Police, he introduced major initiatives for the reform and improvement of the Force, such as the Complaint Response Unit for swift responses to public complaints and adequate protection of citizens rights.
IGP Arase exemplified the highest standards of professionalism, bravery, and leadership, while his contributions to national security and police reform continue to resonate within the Force and beyond.
His passing is not just the culmination of a remarkable chapter but a moment of collective mourning of a man who served with pride and honour.
PHILANTHROPY
Through the Solomon Ehigiator Arase Foundation (SEAF), he supported academic excellence by awarding scholarships to outstanding Nigerian students, with particular focus on children of deceased police officers and indigent students.
More than 23,659 people are still missing across Nigeria, leaving 13,595 families — mostly women — in distress, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The grim figure was disclosed on Sunday by Mr. Ishaku Luka, Team Lead for Protection of Family Links at the ICRC in Damaturu, during events marking the International Day of the Disappeared.
Luka said that 68% of those searching for missing loved ones are women, while 59% of the missing were children at the time they disappeared. Yobe State alone accounts for around 2,500 of the cases, with the majority reported from Gujba Local Government Area.
“Each missing person represents a family trapped in pain and uncertainty, often facing legal, social, and economic hardships,” Luka said, stressing that the plight of these families is one of the overlooked consequences of conflict, disasters, and migration.
He urged authorities, communities, and all parties to conflict to take greater responsibility in preventing disappearances and protecting civilians.
Providing updates on ICRC’s work, Luka revealed that between January and June 2025, the organisation documented 451 new cases and resolved 515. In that period, seven children separated from their families were successfully reunited.
“Every day, we help reunite 20 people globally. Every hour, we clarify the fate of two missing persons. Every minute, we help four people contact their families,” he noted.
ICRC representative Hassan added that healing does not come with time alone, but with answers, acknowledgment, and support. He highlighted the ongoing support provided in states like Borno and Adamawa, including mental health services, livelihood aid, and family orientation programmes in partnership with the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
He called on Nigerian authorities to fulfill their legal and moral obligations — by clarifying the fate of missing persons, respecting the dignity of the deceased, and supporting affected families.
Globally, over 94,000 new missing persons were registered in 2024, bringing the total to 284,400 — a figure the ICRC believes underrepresents the true scale of the crisis.
“No family should have to live with the torment of not knowing. We renew our commitment to advocate for the disappeared and stand with their families,” Hassan said.
Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has reportedly passed away at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja.
As at press time, there has been no official confirmation from his family or the Nigeria Police Force regarding the development.
Arase, Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, was appointed to the position in April 2015 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
After his retirement in 2016, he continued to serve the nation in various capacities, most notably as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), a role he assumed in January 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari. He was relieved of the position in June 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
A seasoned intelligence officer, Arase once led the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the police force’s apex intelligence unit. He also served as Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and later as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of intelligence. His international service included a stint in Namibia on a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
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