OWORAC warns on effect of involve private sector participation in African’ s water sector
Kola Oyelere Kano
The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition(OWORAC)has warned that increasing private sector participation in Africa’s water sector could threaten public accountability and limit access to safe water, urging governments to prioritise community involvement in implementing the Africa Water Vision 2063.
In a statement issued on May 17, the coalition expressed concern over what it described as the growing push toward water privatisation under the framework of the First Implementation Plan (2026–2033) of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy.
The concerns followed a regional consultation hosted in Abuja by the African Ministers’ Council on Water, which brought together representatives of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, development partners and regional institutions.
OWORAC said the increasing emphasis on blended financing models and public-private partnerships in the water sector could lead to widespread privatisation of water services across the continent.
“Across Africa, such models have often resulted in rising water tariffs, weak public accountability, deteriorating labour conditions, and unequal access to water services,” the coalition stated.
It warned that when public water services are handed to corporate actors, the human right to water risks being subordinated to profit-driven interests.
The coalition also raised concerns about the treatment of water workers under privatised systems, saying many had become marginalised or pushed into precarious working conditions
According to OWORAC, any meaningful continental water policy must recognise workers and communities as central stakeholders in public water governance.
While acknowledging the need for investment in water infrastructure, the coalition cautioned against treating water as an economic commodity.
“Water is first and foremost a public good and a human right,” the statement added, warning that policies focused on investor confidence over universal access could deepen inequality and worsen water insecurity for vulnerable communities.
OWORAC further criticised what it described as the exclusion of affected communities, civil society organisations and water workers’ unions from the Abuja consultation, despite commitments within the Africa Water Vision framework to ensure inclusive participation.
“The people most affected by water shortages and sanitation failures must not be sidelined from decisions about Africa’s water future,” the coalition stated.
The organisation also questioned the lack of clarity surrounding financing arrangements, implementation strategies and safeguards against excessive private sector control of public water systems.
Referencing Senegal’s leadership role in continental water governance, OWORAC pointed to criticisms surrounding urban water management in the country, where water distribution is managed by Sen’Eau, a company largely controlled by French multinational Suez.
The coalition said communities in Senegal had raised concerns over rising water costs, poor service delivery and reduced public oversight since the arrangement began in 2020.
It also highlighted Nigeria’s water challenges, noting that millions of Nigerians still lack reliable access to safe drinking water despite ongoing policy discussions.
According to the coalition, many Nigerian communities continue to rely on private vendors and boreholes because of years of neglect and underinvestment in public water systems.
OWORAC therefore called on African governments, regional institutions and development partners to strengthen public water systems, reject policies encouraging privatisation and ensure meaningful participation of communities, workers and civil society groups in water governance.
“Water is a public good,” the coalition declared. “Its future must be determined by the people who depend on it for life and dignity, not by profit.”