By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The residents of Alapere and Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), situated at the heart of Kosofe in Lagos State, are grappling with a persistent lack of clean pipe-borne water from the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC). In response to this ongoing crisis, residents have resorted to self-help measures, including indiscriminately sinking boreholes, which often produce brownish water for domestic use.
For those who cannot afford to install boreholes, their reliance on water tanker suppliers mirrors the struggles faced by residents in other parts of the state, such as Victoria Island. Despite these efforts, the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) appears to be falling short in achieving Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is aimed at ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
UNICEF highlights the critical importance of water and sanitation, stating, “Water and sanitation are critical to the health of people and the planet. Goal 6 not only addresses the issues relating to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) but also the quality and sustainability of water resources worldwide. Improvements in drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are essential for progress in other areas of development too, such as nutrition, education, health, and gender equality.”
Our correspondent recently confirmed the dire situation when staying at a hotel for an event in the Alapere area. The water running through the bathroom tap was discolored, prompting the need to purchase sachet water for proper personal hygiene after using the tap water.
The absence of reliable clean water sources has impacted various businesses and services in the community, including restaurants, dry cleaners, hair salons, hospitals, schools, churches, and mosques. Water is an essential component of their daily operations, and the absence of clean pipe-borne water has placed an added burden on these establishments.
Many concerned residents have expressed their frustration with the government’s failure to provide consistent pipe-borne water. Adewale, a resident, shared that since relocating to the area, he has not once received water from the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC).
Comrade Abdulwaheed Odunuga, an advocate for access to clean water in the community, highlighted that the last time there was public water supply in Alapere was in March 2020. He noted, “Throughout Governor Ambode’s reign, it was the same story, until he left. We were thinking that the coming of His Excellency Governor Sanwoolu would remedy the situation. Unfortunately, it is worse! The Governor should be ashamed that for more than 4 years, his government could not provide public water for Lagosians.”
Despite the challenges posed by limited funds at the Local Council level, the Agboyi Ketu LCDA administration, led by Mayor Dele Oshinowo, has stepped in to provide water tankers and industrialized boreholes. However, these efforts are insufficient to ensure that clean pipe-borne water reaches every home in the area. Residents are urgently calling on the state governor and state lawmakers to address this pressing issue and ensure that all residents have access to safe and hygienic water sources.