The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has called on African governments to reject water privatisation, strengthen public water institutions and increase funding for water and sanitation infrastructure, warning that commercial control of essential services could deepen inequality and make safe water unaffordable for millions of people.
The coalition made the call during the 2026 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, taking place from Oct. 12 to 18 under the theme, “Reclaiming Africa’s Water Future: Public Water for All.”
The campaign involves civil society organisations, communities, workers, women, youth and water justice movements across Africa, with advocates including Geoffrey Occansey, Executive Director of Water Citizens Network/Revenue Mobilisation Africa, Ghana; Comrade Rufus Olusesan, National President of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association; Zikora Ibeh, Assistant Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa; Anne Maina; and Neil Gupta.
In its statement, the coalition attributed the continent’s water crisis to years of inadequate public investment, weak water utilities, rapid urbanisation, population growth, climate pressures and increasing private-sector involvement in public water services.
It cited figures showing that 2.1 billion people globally lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024, while 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation. In sub-Saharan Africa, 167 million people relied on limited drinking-water services, accounting for more than half of the global population using services at that level.
OWORAC said low-income households, rural communities and underserved urban and peri-urban settlements bear a disproportionate burden, often depending on water vendors, tankers, private boreholes and other sources that may not guarantee reliable quality or safety.
The coalition also cited research indicating that low-income households relying on water vendors in sub-Saharan African cities may pay 10 to 20 times more per unit of water than wealthier households connected to public networks.
“This is a poverty penalty in which those with the lowest incomes can end up paying the highest prices for an essential service,” the statement said.
The coalition warned that public-private partnerships, concessions, commercial tariffs and prepaid water-meter systems could worsen inequality by making access to water increasingly dependent on households’ ability to pay.
While acknowledging the urgent need for investment in water and sanitation infrastructure, OWORAC argued that governments should prioritise publicly funded and accountable services rather than transfer essential responsibilities to commercial operators whose primary obligation is to generate profit.
It also raised concerns about sanitation, wastewater and solid-waste management, warning that poor services contribute to water pollution, public health risks and flooding.
Citing reported environmental concerns involving multinational water and waste management companies Veolia and Suez, the coalition argued that private-sector participation does not automatically guarantee effective service delivery or environmental protection, particularly where public oversight is weak.
It said intensifying droughts, floods and other climate-related disruptions made investment in resilient public infrastructure, effective regulation and accountable water management increasingly urgent.
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