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Lagos communities decry water scarcity, demand govt intervention

Published

1 month ago

March 31, 2025

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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ASUU: Prof Piwuna is new national president

Prof. Piwuna was the immediate past National Vice President of the union.

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2025

OhiBaba

A Professor of Medicine and Consultant Psychiatrist, Chris Piwuna, has been elected as the national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He takes over from Emmanuel Osodeke, a Professor of Agriculture at the University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, who was elected in May 2021.

Prof. Piwuna was the immediate past National Vice President of the union.

Piwuna, a former Dean of Students Affairs at the University of Jos, Plateau State, emerged victorious at an election during the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress at the University of Benin in Benin City, Edo State.

News

Former military administrator Olubolade dies at 70

… he left the house to play lawn tennis at a nearby facility where he slumped.

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2025

OhiBaba

Former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Navy Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade (rtd), is dead.

Olubolade was also Minister of Special Duties, Minister of State, FCT, and Minister of Police Affairs.

He celebrated his 70th birthday on November 30, 2024.Olubolade, the Ipoti-Ekiti-born retired officer, died on Sunday, May 11, in Apapa, Lagos.

A statement by his first daughter, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Akinadewo, and first son, Mr. Dayo Olubolade, said that he left the house to play lawn tennis at a nearby facility where he slumped.

He drove himself to the facility to play lawn tennis in the evening and slumped while playing.

Efforts were made by medical officers around to revive him to no avail.

He was immediately rushed to Obisesan Naval Medical Hospital, Apapa, where he was pronounced dead.

News

JUST IN: Court to hear Akpabio’s contempt claims against Natasha May 13

Published

10 hours ago

May 12, 2025

Charles Flames

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned till Tuesday, May 13, for the definite hearing of the contempt claims made against the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Justice Binta Nyako fixed the date following a submission by the second and third defendants, who informed the court that they had filed an application drawing attention to the plaintiff’s alleged contempt.

The legal dispute between Akpabio and Akpoti-Uduaghan originated from a disagreement over seating arrangements during plenary on February 20.

Subsequently, Akpoti-Uduaghan, during a television programme where she appeared as a guest, made allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio.

Following the fallout, Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court seeking an order to restrain the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from investigating her.

In an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, she sued the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate President, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Nedamwen Imasuen.

On March 4, the court issued an order restraining the Senate from commencing disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan following her ex parte application.

However, on March 6, the Senate proceeded to suspend her, citing a report by the committee alleging gross misconduct, despite the matter being sub judice.

On Friday, April 4, 2025, Justice Nyako ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan, Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, and Imasuen to refrain from granting media interviews or making social media posts related to the case while it remained pending before the court.

This order followed claims by Akpabio’s counsel that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been granting press interviews despite the court’s directive.

At the resumed sitting on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Jibrin Okutekpa, informed the court that the matter was fixed for hearing and that all required documents had been filed.

Charles Yoila appeared for the first defendant; Paul Daudu represented the second defendant; Ekoh Ejembi (SAN) for the third defendant; and Valentine Offia for the fourth defendant.

All defence lawyers confirmed compliance with the court’s previous orders and readiness for the hearing.

However, Daudu informed the court that despite the order against social media posts, the plaintiff had published a satirical post on her Facebook page.

“This matter is coming up for definite hearing. The second defendant has filed its schedule of hearing. Ordinarily, we are ready to proceed, but a further affidavit was served on me just on Friday, which I am entitled to respond to.

“This court ordered that there should be no social media posts, but there was one. The plaintiff herself posted a satirical apology on her Facebook page,” Daudu said.

He argued that the post mocked the court and violated its order, urging the court to hold her in contempt.

Akpabio’s counsel, Ejembi, supported Daudu’s submission, stating that the plaintiff’s Facebook post undermined the court’s authority.

“We are alleging that the Facebook post made by the plaintiff is a mockery of the court’s proceedings. We tender a Punch newspaper report showing she made the post despite the court’s order,” Ejembi said.

In response, the plaintiff’s counsel maintained that the Facebook post was related to the sexual harassment allegation and not the issue before the court.

Okutekpa urged the court to disregard the defendants’ submissions and proceed with hearing the substantive matter.

“Our counter-affidavit concerns only the matter before the court. The satirical post has no connection to it,” he argued.

He also urged the court to fast-track the hearing, noting that Akpoti-Uduaghan had spent 68 cumulative days out of the National Assembly.

Justice Nyako, however, insisted that the contempt issue must be addressed first.

“I cannot proceed with this matter until I conclude on the issue of contempt. If there is contempt, I have to hear and determine it first,” she said.

In turn, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel raised a contempt allegation against all the defendants.

“My Lord, you have paused this trial over a contempt allegation. We also have an issue of contempt against all the defendants,” he said.Justice Nyako cautioned the lawyers, warning that continued disobedience of court orders by their clients could lead to consequences.

“I have the power to summon all your clients to appear in court. If counsel or litigants disobey the court, then the court has no business hearing them—that is my position,” she said.

Addressing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, she added, “If you have an application for contempt, bring it forward so the court can hear it.

”She added, “You cannot allow your client to disrespect this court. If they are found in contempt, they will face punishment. If not, the court will proceed.”