Activists, Experts Reject Water Privatisation

A civil society Organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), alongside grassroots movements, international allies, and civil society leaders, have said water privatisation is against human dignity.

Fifth Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, with strong condemnations of corporate influence over water governance in Nigeria and across Africa.

The week-long campaign, organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC), in collaboration with the Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) Coalition, reinforced a growing continental demand: that water must remain a public good, not a commodity for profit.

Speaking at the event’s opening, Akinbode Olufemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), warned that water privatisation in the context of the climate crisis compounds vulnerability and institutionalised inequality.

He declared that water, as a fundamental human right, cannot and must not be turned into a commodity, pointing out that the struggle for public water is also a fight for climate justice and democratic governance.

The 2025 observance marks the first time OWORAC is partnering with MBPP, a pan-African coalition focused on corporate accountability for environmental harm.

Oluwafemi described the alliance as a necessary evolution, as it highlights the deepening recognition that water justice and climate justice are inseparable.

He emphasised the week’s theme, Public Water for Climate Resilience, as a critical response to the worsening climate conditions that disproportionately affect African communities.

According to him, the participation of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, is to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation, and adds a global weight to the event.

Oluwafemi praised Arrojo-Agudo’s role in illuminating the dangers of water privatisation while advocating for democratic, climate-resilient alternatives. The Special Rapporteur’s presence noted that the demand for public water is a universal human rights issue.”

He said, “There should be a rejection of false climate solutions, and invest in transparent, ecologically sound public water systems. This is not just about water but about dignity, survival, and justice. Water must remain in public hands for the people, not for profit”

Speaking on behalf of OWORAC, CAPPA’s Programme Officer, Water Campaign, Sefa Ikpa, reiterated the coalition’s view that the climate crisis is being manipulated to justify profit-driven solutions such as desalination plants.

“These schemes are ecologically harmful, carbon-intensive, and expensive, enabling multinational corporations to dominate African water systems, as seen in Morocco’s 35-year deal with Veolia.

CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikorah Ibeh, sharply criticised the Lagos State government’s handling of water privatisation deals, accusing it of deliberate secrecy and exclusion of local voices.