LASG Seeks To Fix Lapses, Beckons on Investors

The Lagos state government, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission has urged Public-Private sectors and other agencies to lend their support in partnership to counter the water supply crisis in the country, thereby seeking investors’ aid towards sustainable access to clean water and development.

Speaking better value for water supply and Sanitation through public- Private partnership, the Veteran WASH sector Reform specialist, Engr. Dr. Benson Ajisegiri, emphasized on causes of water supply crises and possible solutions to improve the services and development of the water sector.

“Performances of most of the agencies are nothing to write home about at the time. The crisis in the water supply system, most of the states and almost all the agencies are operating on a very low service, they are not providing services at all, and where services are not being provided, tariffs are very low, collections are nothing to write home about and this is leading to almost 85 per cent of revenue going down the drain, and if you go down the line you will see that consumers are not happy and they aren’t paying. So most water utilities are surviving on government subsidies and because the government is not happy with most of the agencies, they aren’t supporting as much as expected.”

The Two-day conference hosted key participants such as; The Global Water leaders Group, Manila Water company, INC, Africa Development Bank (AFDB, USAID, WHO, National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), representatives from the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arm of Government, Private Sector (Large volume users), SMEs, Research Institutes, Think Tanks, Bilateral and Multilateral institutions, National and Regional Water Bodies, Development partners, Development Finance institutions, Media and the Civil Society Organization is however aimed at unlocking opportunities for private sector investment to promote access, efficiency and sustainability for water, sanitation and hygiene services.

The executive secretary, LASWARCO, Funke Adepoju, noted in her welcome address that the Lagos International conference 2022 is aimed at unlocking investments and sustainable access to clean water sanitation services and the opportunity to attract the necessary investment to the sector.

She said: “The Theme for LIWAC 2022, ‘unlocking investments and sustainable access to clean water and sanitation services: the Regulatory Imperative’, will focus on knowledge sharing, facilitating efficiency through regulation, and how regulation can pave way for investment opportunities, Women in Focus, Public-Private Partnerships for sustainable WASH services, maximising localised and global investment opportunities for WASH.

“LIWAC 2022 edition would be parading renowned international speakers and experts from Europe, Asia, and Africa in water finance, utility, and urban management water specialists and regulators, all in one room in alignment with the Theme’s agenda and the vision for greater Lagos.”

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Tunji Bello, while giving his remark expressed his concern in line with the focus of the conference which is to strengthen regulatory oversight critical to attracting and safeguarding investment by protecting the interests of all players in the water sector.

“The focus of the conference in enriching conversation around strengthening regulatory oversight critical to attracting and safeguarding investment by protecting the interests of all players in the Water sector, facilitating interactions with experts and cross country learning that will enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and viability of utilities is no doubt a welcome development”

“It is no gainsaying that the resolution of the multifarious challenges confronting the water and water wash management sector in Lagos requires a dedicated and thoughtful approach in delivering the ideas of SDG-6 to the citizenry, “Tunji added.