The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, has challenged the Lagos State government to come up with a more realistic allocation to the water sector in the 2016 budget, noting that the current allocation to the sector smacks of seriousness in ensuring equitable access to water by all Lagos residents.
The Lagos State government said the budgetary allocation to water in 2016 is N17.6 billion out of a total of N662.6 billion covering all sectors, and representing a mere 2.7 per cent of the total. Environment received 8.1 per cent totalling N53, 043,599,505, Housing and Community Amenities got N62, 713,091,867 representing 9.46 per cent, while Health received N64, 677,679,096 representing 9.76 per cent. Recreation, Culture and Religion got N4, 636,917, 054, which is 0.70 per cent.
The budget is recorded as an improvement of 26 per cent over that of 2014 and 2015 respectively which stood at N489.6 billion individually.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy director, ERA/FoEN, said in spite of the budget improvement compared with previous years, the allocation to water is “a pittance” and does not reflect the governor’s description of the entire package as “the peoples budget. With a daily internally-generated revenue hitting about N1 billion (one billion naira) we find it disappointing that the allocation to water is a pittance paling in significance when viewed from the prism that safe and potable water guarantees the wellness of the people and overall security once people have access,” Oluwafemi pointed out.
The ERA/FoEN boss insisted that, the solution to lack of access is not and will never be to privatise it, but a sustained investment in the water sector over time. “While the state government is yet to appreciate the benefits of a democratic system of controlling our water resources, we reiterate our rejection of water privatization under any guise including the failed PPP being promoted by the World Bank. We insist that the people must determine how our water resources must be managed. Upping the annual budgetary allocation to water will be one good step in this direction. Unfortunately the state government has not realized this,” Oluwafemi insisted.