Groups threaten mass action over Lagos borehole crackdown.
The coalition, under the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), comprising more than 50 national and regional organisations, […] A coalition of civil society organisations, community groups and trade unions has threatened coordinated mass resistance across Lagos State if the government moves to seal domestic boreholes or prosecute residents for extracting groundwater without authorisation.
The warning followed public concerns over a statement attributed to LASWARCO Executive Secretary, Oluwabukola Adeyemo, which reportedly described drilling boreholes and extracting groundwater without government authorisation as illegal and liable to property sealing and criminal prosecution.
In a statement, the coalition demanded an immediate clarification of the commission’s enforcement plans, arguing that the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law expressly exempts domestic boreholes from licensing requirements.
The groups cited Section 253(1) of the law, which permits residents to construct wells and boreholes in residential premises for household water supply without obtaining a licence. They also referenced Section 259(2), which requires authorisation for boreholes intended for commercial and industrial use. The coalition accused the government of threatening struggling households despite its failure to provide adequate public water infrastructure. It cited Lagos Water Corporation records showing 34,424 registered connections, representing approximately 1.03 per cent direct coverage in a state with more than 20 million residents.
MSEApp News is publishing an original rewrite of this tip for readers, based on reporting associated with Daily Trust.