A coalition of civil society groups, community organisations and trade unions has threatened protests across Lagos if the state government seals household boreholes or prosecutes residents for drawing groundwater without a permit, Premium Times reports. The state's water regulator had warned that unauthorised drilling was illegal and could lead to enforcement.
The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition said the state's 2017 environmental law exempts boreholes used for domestic supply from licensing, and asked the regulator to clarify its position. The groups argued that residents rely on boreholes because public supply is so limited, citing figures showing the Lagos Water Corporation has about 34,000 registered connections in a state of more than 20 million people. They said that even allowing for shared connections, the network reaches only around 8% of residents.
Source: Premium Times
