October 22, (THEWILL) – Water activists, led by Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), have advised African governments to shut down water public-private partnerships (PPPs), warning that such arrangements would increase citizens’ vulnerability.
This call was made during the 2024 Week of Action, under the theme: “Water Justice Over Profit”, which focused on addressing public disinvestment and the privatisation of water services across Africa.
Speaking at the forum in Lagos on behalf of the “Our Water, Our Right African Coalition” (OWORAC), Oluwafemi emphasised that prioritising corporate profit over people’s access to safe water would exacerbate health risks, including non-communicable diseases, and undermine equitable access.
He highlighted the failures of water privatisation, citing examples from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, where higher costs and unreliable services have disproportionately impacted marginalised communities.
OWORAC, supported by civil society leaders from several African countries, called on governments to adopt transparent, community-driven, public-centred water management systems that safeguard workers’ rights and ensure equitable access to water.
In his welcome remarks during the Fourth Annual Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, the CAPPA boss highlighted the expansion of the “OWORAC”, which now operates in about 10 African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon, Senegal, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, and Mozambique, with plans for further growth.
CAPPA boss emphasised OWORAC’s commitment to resisting corporate takeovers of water utilities across Africa.
He explained that the Week of Action is strategically timed to coincide with the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to spotlight the roles these institutions play in promoting water privatisation on the continent. OWORAC aims to draw attention to the detrimental impact of these privatisation efforts and rally support for public-centred water management systems that prioritise human rights over corporate profit.
The coalition stressed that water is a fundamental human right and should not be commercialised, framing the struggle against privatisation as a fight for the dignity and survival of African communities.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
