Lagos water corporation serves only 1.03% of population — Official

The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) says its water community serves 34,424 registered households or an estimated 1.03 per cent of the state’s 20 million residents.
The corporation, by the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs and Brand Management, Rasaq Anifowoshe, disclosed this in an unique interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr Anifowoshe mentioned this whereas responding to questions bordering on the LWC’s water protection and growth plans.

“Using an estimated average household size of six persons, the number of residents associated with these connections is 206,444, an equivalent to approximately 1.03 per cent of the state’s estimated population of 20 million,” he mentioned.

Mr Anifowoshe disclosed that the corporation had an put in water manufacturing capability of roughly 210 million gallons per day (MGD).

This, he mentioned, was towards an estimated state’s each day water demand of roughly 540 MGD, as said within the Lagos State Water Supply Master Plan.

“A evaluation of the corporation’s 2025 manufacturing information signifies an mixture annual manufacturing of roughly 2,633.22 million gallons, equal to a median each day manufacturing of about 7.21 MGD.

“Based on these records, actual daily production is three per cent of the installed capacity,” he mentioned.

NAN stories that the above figures spotlight a considerable hole between put in capability, precise output and estimated water demand throughout Lagos State.

Mr Anifowoshe recognized ageing distribution pipelines, growing demand arising from population progress and speedy urbanisation in addition to the necessity to rehabilitate and broaden current water infrastructure as the key constraints.

NAN stories that these challenges have an effect on the corporation’s skill to increase public water provide, significantly to communities counting on boreholes and personal distributors.

Across Lagos, residents spend 1000’s of naira on different water sources as irregular public provide and inaccessible connections improve family prices.

Some Lagos residents interviewed by the NAN throughout Iponri, Oworonshoki, Costain, Apapa Road and Ebute Metta revealed issues about unreliable provide, failed amenities and insufficient water stress.

At the Iponri Housing Estate, Adebayo Solomon, mentioned his family spent about N1,500 each day on vendor-supplied water, amounting to N45,000 month-to-month.

Mr Solomon mentioned the expenditure would whole roughly N547,500 if sustained all year long.

He mentioned electrical energy shortages generally disrupted water availability, forcing his family to handle saved provides or pay increased charges.

Mr Solomon mentioned he would welcome an LWC connection if it supplied common provide and lowered dependence on distributors.

Another Iponri resident, Abdulkareem Ibrahim, mentioned he relied on public boreholes supplied by philanthropists as a result of his neighborhood acquired no LWC provide.

“I depend on public water, the one provided by philanthropists. I fetch it in the morning or when I return from work at night,” he mentioned.

Mr Ibrahim mentioned the boreholes helped him keep away from direct water bills, though energy interruptions generally disrupt pumping, forcing him to purchase from distributors.

“I am just happy that we have water at all, all thanks to our magnanimous neighbours,” he mentioned.

In Oworonshoki, Amanda Ogbodo, mentioned she spent between N2,200 and N3,600 weekly on vendor-delivered borehole water.

Mrs Ogbodo mentioned the expenditure quantities to between N8,800 and N14,400 over 4 weeks.

She mentioned the LWC water had flowed extra constantly in elements of her space over the previous 4 months, primarily from Friday afternoons into Saturday.

However, she disclosed that properties on the upper floor remained underserved as a result of of inadequate stress, leaving residents on the decrease floor higher equipped.

She recalled that her enterprise premises beforehand acquired LWC water, with eight or 9 customers contributing N10,000 month-to-month.

Mrs Ogbodo mentioned provide stopped for about 4 years after a pipe broke and residents had been advised repairs had been essential.

She mentioned water returned intermittently in 2025 however had only not too long ago turn into extra constant.

“Electricity shortages over the previous two weeks had additionally lowered availability and elevated water prices.

“We plead with the government to help us run the pipe again and resume provision of constant water access,” she mentioned.

At Costain, Eniola Adewale, mentioned a truckload of water prices between N1,200 and N1,500, with distributors generally doubling costs throughout shortages.

She mentioned her family relied on cell distributors as a result of the general public facility was distant and equipped water irregularly.

Ms Adewale mentioned she distrusted vendor-supplied water as a result of its supply was unknown, utilizing sachet water for cooking as a substitute.

Eunice David, a meals vendor on Thomas Street, Costain, mentioned she spent substantial quantities month-to-month pumping water for family use.

Mrs David mentioned a public water facility beforehand serving her neighborhood had been non-functional for a while.

“We don’t know what to do again. We need help from the government,” she mentioned, interesting for normal and inexpensive public water,” he mentioned.

On Opeoluwa Street, Apapa Road, Garuba Alasan, mentioned the general public water facility had been non-functional for about 20 years.

“I have lived here for about 30 years, and in the past 20 years, I have used private water sources for my water needs,” he mentioned.

At Vaughan Street in Costain, Anthony Olamide, a point-of-sale operator, mentioned residents had an LWC connection, though provide depended largely on electrical energy.

Mr Olamide mentioned residents contributed N1,000 month-to-month in the direction of water provide, decreasing alternative-water bills when public water was obtainable.

However, energy outages stopped provide, generally forcing households to purchase from distributors.

At Olaogun Street, Abule-Nla Junction Ebute Metta, Esther Emokpaire mentioned her family spent between N1,000 and N1,500 per truckload of vendor-supplied water.

She mentioned the family normally bought water each two days, with costs various in keeping with availability.

Mrs Emokpaire mentioned distributors claimed the water was clear and handled, though her family had not verified its high quality.

“There was a time when members of my household developed skin rashes after bathing with water purchased from vendors,” she mentioned.

She added that shortages made water more durable to acquire and generally prompted distributors to extend costs.

Residents’ accounts present how irregular provide, failed amenities and insufficient stress depart households paying for options, together with in communities with current public connections.

Their experiences elevate questions concerning the attain of public water infrastructure, provide reliability and whether or not introduced interventions are translating into improved entry.

However, the Lagos State Government’s second-quarter 2026 funds implementation report confirmed that 36.2 per cent of the authorised annual funds for bettering 15 current mini and micro waterworks had been spent by June 30.

The report additionally recorded expenditure equal to 4 per cent of the authorised annual funds for the Adiyan Phase II Waterworks mission.

These expenditure figures don’t set up the tasks’ bodily completion standing or how a lot water they presently provide.

Speaking on the corporation’s plan for growing public water protection throughout the state, Mr Anifowoshe disclosed plans of rehabilitation and improve of micro/mini remedy crops.

“This will make water accessible to over 5,616,000 households upon full rehabilitation, thereby fulfilling the mandate of the corporation to provide potable water to Lagosians,” he mentioned.

He additionally recognized extension of distribution community to extend entry to potable water for Lagosians as one other plan.

Meanwhile, the corporation has introduced plans to rehabilitate Ojokoro Mini Waterworks and assemble Lagos Island Micro Waterworks to enhance public water provide.

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Mr Anifowoshe additionally listed the rehabilitation and upgrading of micro and mini water remedy crops among the many corporation’s deliberate interventions.

He mentioned the intervention would make water accessible to greater than 5.6 million households upon full rehabilitation.

He listed digitisation of the distribution community as one other deliberate intervention to allow digital monitoring and distant administration of underground pipes and different belongings.

According to Anifowoshe, the initiative will assist scale back water losses and non-revenue water.

He additionally disclosed plans to assemble the Igbonla 100 MGD water remedy plant to spice up provide alongside the Lekki-Epe hall.

“This will increase the production capacity of the corporation to meet the demand for water in the Lekki-Epe corridor,” he mentioned.

For residents who proceed spending 1000’s of naira on different water sources, the influence of these interventions will finally depend upon dependable provide, functioning amenities and wider family connections throughout Lagos State.

(NAN)