Lagos borehole crackdown: rights groups and unions threaten mass action

A coalition of civil society groups, community organisations and trade unions has threatened mass protests and legal action if the Lagos State Government goes ahead with a crackdown on unlicensed boreholes in homes.

The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) recently warned that unauthorised drilling and use of groundwater could lead to sites being sealed and their operators prosecuted under the state's 2017 environmental law. It asked residents to report illegal drilling through a hotline.

The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition, whose statement was signed by 25 groups, said many Lagosians depend on boreholes and wells because public water supply is poor. It asked the commission to make clear that boreholes and wells for household use are exempt from licensing.

The coalition also called on the government to drop any plan to privatise the Lagos Water Corporation, repair existing waterworks, expand public supply and focus enforcement on big commercial users and polluters.

Signatories included the Lagos chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria.