The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has warned that Africa’s growing shift towards water privatisation could undermine public accountability and worsen access to safe water for vulnerable communities across the continent.
The coalition raised the concern following a regional consultation held in Abuja by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) on the First Implementation Plan (2026–2033) of the Africa Water Vision (AWV) 2063 and Policy.
The meeting, attended by representatives of the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, development partners, and regional institutions, comes ahead of the AU’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of “Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
In a statement, OWORAC criticised the increasing emphasis on private sector participation, blended financing, and public-private partnerships in Africa’s water sector, warning that such models often result in higher water tariffs, poor accountability, deteriorating labour conditions, and unequal access to water services.
“When essential public services are transferred to corporate actors, the human right to water risks being subordinated to profit-driven interests,” the coalition stated.
OWORAC also expressed concern over the exclusion of communities affected by water shortages, civil society organisations, and water workers’ unions from the Abuja consultation, despite AWV 2063’s commitment to inclusive participation.
“The people most affected by water shortages and sanitation failures must not be sidelined from decisions about Africa’s water future,” the statement added.
The coalition argued that water should be treated as a public good and human right rather than an economic commodity, warning that policies prioritising investor confidence over universal access could deepen inequality and water insecurity.
OWORAC further cited Senegal’s urban water management system as a cautionary example, referencing concerns over rising water costs, weak oversight, and labour disputes linked to Sen’Eau, a company largely controlled by French multinational Suez.
On Nigeria, the coalition noted that millions still lack reliable access to safe drinking water despite years of reforms and privatisation efforts, forcing many communities to rely on boreholes, private vendors, and informal water sources.
The group called on African governments and regional institutions to strengthen public water systems, reject privatisation policies, and guarantee meaningful participation of communities, workers, and civil society groups in water governance.
“Water is a public good. Its future must be determined by the people who depend on it for life and dignity, not by profit,” OWORAC stated.
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