WaterAid Nigeria has called for increased public and private investment in urban water infrastructure, saying sustainable financing, government leadership and stronger partnerships are key to improving access to safe water services nationwide.

The head of strategy, performance, effectiveness and learning at WaterAid Nigeria, Emmanuel Iorkumbor, said this on the sidelines of the Urban Water Supply Sector Report in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward workshop in Abuja on Monday.

The workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in collaboration with development partners.

Mr Iorkumbor said WaterAid had partnered with the Lagos State Government and the Lagos Water Corporation to rehabilitate moribund water schemes and demonstrate sustainable models for utility operations.

According to him, the organisation is rehabilitating the Akilo Waterworks in Ogba, Lagos, restoring a one-million-gallons-per-day facility with the potential to serve about 100,000 residents through household connections and smart water kiosks.

He said the intervention was part of efforts to revive over 48 moribund micro and mini water schemes identified across Lagos State and provide a model for possible replication by the Lagos Water Corporation.

Mr Iorkumbor said WaterAid was also investing about N2.3 billion in the rehabilitation of the Ojukoro Waterworks, expected to serve about 72,000 people and support pipeline expansion to additional households.

He added that the organisation had launched the Lagos Aqua Initiative to mobilise corporate and private-sector investment to expand municipal water services.

According to him, government ownership remains critical to the sustainability of water infrastructure, while cost-reflective tariffs, community engagement and reliable energy supply are essential for efficient utility operations.

“People must pay for services to run because water is not a free resource. Government ownership and leadership are also essential to guarantee long-term asset management and sustainability,” he said.

Mr Iorkumbor said the interventions had strengthened the capacity of the Lagos Water Corporation and the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission through technical assessments, procurement support, energy audits and performance improvement plans.

He, however, identified non-revenue water, illegal connections, leakages, weak maintenance systems and energy constraints as key challenges affecting sustainability.

Also speaking, a water resources expert and World Bank consultant, Benson Ajisegiri, called for reduced political interference in Nigeria’s water supply sector, describing it as a major barrier to sustainable reforms and improved service delivery.

Mr Ajisegiri said that despite decades of reforms and nearly $2 billion in investments from development partners, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, USAID, and WaterAid, the sector still faced significant challenges.

According to him, political interference in project implementation and personnel management has undermined continuity and weakened institutional capacity.

“In most cases, projects and personnel management are politicised. You train people, and they return only to be reassigned. Utility managers are also frequently changed, making it difficult to sustain progress,” he said.

He said weak ownership of reform programmes by utilities and resistance to cost-reflective tariffs were also hindering sector reforms.

Mr Ajisegiri explained that improving the creditworthiness of water utilities would help attract commercial financing, development funding and private sector investment needed to expand water services.

He disclosed that the World Bank, in collaboration with Sanitation and Water For All and other partners, launched an open learning initiative in November 2025 to support utilities in improving governance, efficiency and financial sustainability.

According to him, eight states – Plateau, Kaduna, Lagos, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Katsina and Ogun – are participating in the programme.

He said the initiative supports utilities in developing customised action plans for improved performance.

Mr Ajisegiri emphasised that achieving creditworthiness requires long-term commitment, institutional discipline and continuous reforms.