DESPITE Lagos State government in 2025 claimed it spent N2.685 billion to rehabilitate 50 modfied Type A Portable Water Scheme, not much has improved in terms of access to potable water for residents.
A breakdown of the spending showed that about N53.7 million was spent to rehabilitate each of the portable water scheme.

According to the budget documents sighted by The Guardian, the rehabilitation was executed by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on behalf of the state government.
As at the third quarter of 2025, the budget performance document revealed that of the N2.699 billion allocated for the project, 99.5 per cent of the fund has gone into the project, which is N2.685 billion.
The documents revealed that was what left to be spent in the fourth quarter was about N14 million. The Guardian was, however, unable to confirm if the balance was actually spent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The budget documents, nonetheless, revealed that while about N886 million was spent on the project in the second quarter, N1.8 billion was spent on the same project in the third quarter of 2025.
When The Guardian contacted the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, he initially claimed the ministry officials were engaged, as it was out of station in a retreat with elected councilors. He therefore, promised to arrange an interview with the Special Adviser to the Governor that should speak on the matter, but when he was told that it is just to confirm the project was done and the location, he said he would discuss with the Special Adviser.
When he did not reach out with the details requested, he was contacted again, only to say that the Special Adviser who has responsibilities for rural development that should speak on the matter has travelled and will not be available to talk until he comes back.
As part of efforts to verify if such projects were executed in Lagos, The Guardian contacted the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) since its advocacy include access to potable water including tracking such projects.

Assistant Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Zikora Ibeh, stated that she was not aware it. “In any case, the question is: which areas did this occur in, and who have been the beneficiaries of this rehabilitation? Which residents in Lagos State now enjoy uninterrupted access to public water as a result of this development?”
She added that access to clean drinking water in Lagos remains poor as only a small number of residents receive piped water from the public system.
“Most people rely on boreholes, water vendors, and sachet water, which are often unsafe and expensive. This situation is driven by long-standing challenges such as state underinvestment in the sector, ageing water infrastructure, and persistent power supply issues.
“Rather than address these failures through strong public action, the state has leaned toward public–private partnerships and market-driven solutions. These approaches treat water as a service to be paid for, rather than a public responsibility to be guaranteed.”
She also stated that experience from many parts of the world shows that this model does not work. “Water privatisation has failed across the world, including in countries where the same international financiers now pushing Lagos State once promoted it.

“The current push for water “meterisation” illustrates this problem clearly. In communities such as Baruwa where that is already active, residents pay thousands of naira to buy water units that last only a few days. About ₦5,000 purchases roughly 1,000 litres, which barely sustains a household. Even after payment, there is no guarantee of supply. Water flow remains irregular and rationed, dependent on external operating factors within the Lagos water system.
“At the same time, the state has shown that it can act differently. The budgetary investment in the Adiyan II project is a positive example. It shows that the state is capable of directing public resources into the water sector. This is the right step.

“What is missing is consistency. The same focus shown in Adiyan II infrastructure investment must extend to the wider system of water works and everyday water management and supply. This includes repairing broken pipes, upgrading existing facilities, and expanding distribution networks.
“These are public responsibilities and should not be outsourced to private actors. The state also has options such as establishing a water trust fund and using cross-subsidies and earmarked taxes, drawing from budgetary allocations and other public revenue sources, to ensure that water remains affordable and accessible to all residents.
“With current global dynamics marked by aid cuts, rising nationalism, and growing uncertainty in international and private financing, it is in the state’s interest to strengthen its self-reliance. Investing in public water systems is part of that work.”