This was the resolution of participants at the National Summit on the Human Right to Water with the theme: Nigeria’s Water Emergency: From Resistance to Real Solutions Against Corporate Control on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.
There were reported cases of International Financial Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group visiting Lagos state in 2018, indicating interest to allegedly invest in the state’s public water sector, through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
But, Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, described the move as unacceptable as it is against the human right principle.
Alton believes access to water should be promoted and its affordability “must” be prioritised.
He urged the Lagos State government among others to ensure human right principle is considered in its efforts to provide potable water to the people.
“Some principles as comfortability, transparency, acceptability and accessibility should be key elements for any decision making to water supply provision. So I call on the governments to ensure they honour the human rights of water and sanitation principles as the key guidance to any decision making in Lagos.”
Keynote speaker, Dr Otive Igbuzor
Similarly, Nnimmo Bassey, chairman board of ERA/FoEN, accused the private sector of trying to profit from the water crisis in Nigeria.
“Just as some persons, governments and corporations deny that climate change is caused mostly by human activities, so is the case with the water crisis,” Bassey said.
Also,
