To kickstart the 2024 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, the Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC)—a network of pro-public water advocates from nearly a dozen African countries—hosted an international press conference on October 21, 2024.
The conference, which brought together coalition partners, journalists, and activists from Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Mozambique, and beyond, marked the fourth annual gathering of its kind. This year, advocates united under the theme “Water Justice Over Profit,” demanding that water be preserved as a fundamental human right. They condemned the growing corporate capture of public water utilities, calling instead for community-centred and democratic management of water in Africa.
In his opening remarks, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), reiterated that the campaign against water privatisation is a rights-based campaign and that water as a fundamental human right must be protected from corporate greed. Highlighting the failures of water privatisation in regions like Manila, Michigan, Paris, and the UK, Oluwafemi questioned why such unsuccessful models are being promoted across Africa. He, therefore, urged African governments to resist external pressures seeking to impose exploitative water management models on the continent.
The event received solidarity messages from several international and Africa-based advocacy organisations, including Neil Gupta, Water Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability (Boston); Dr. Ron Daniels, President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century; Fatou Diouf, Project Coordinator for French-Speaking Africa at Public Services International; and Leonard Shang-Quartey, Coordinator of the Africa Water Justice Network. Each organisation reaffirmed its support for Africa’s resistance to water privatisation and emphasised the need to prioritise public welfare over corporate profits.
The OWORAC statement, read during the conference, firmly condemned the role of international financial institutions (IFIs), such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), in influencing African water policies. By attaching strict conditionalities to loans and grants, these institutions often steer African governments toward privatisation schemes disguised as public-private partnerships (PPPs) or bulk water purchase agreements. OWORAC highlighted that the impact of these policies is most keenly felt by marginalised communities who face increased water tariffs, reduced access to clean water, and deteriorating infrastructure.
OWORAC partners provided detailed, firsthand accounts from multiple African countries, highlighting the severe consequences of water privatisation on communities. Organisations such as USAID and WaterAid were specifically criticised for supporting privatisation initiatives in Lagos, Nigeria, which reportedly have led to job losses among unionised water workers and reduced public access to water.
Geoffrey Kabutey Ocansey, Executive Director of Revenue Mobilization Africa, spoke about the situation in Ghana, where illegal mining (popularly known as Galamsey) and corporate activities have led to widespread contamination of water sources, adversely affecting local ecosystems and community health. He decried the presence of cyanide and mercury in water supplies as evidence of corporate disregard for environmental safety and community welfare, further exacerbating water insecurity.
Oumar Ba, Secretary of Senegal’s water workers’ union, addressed the impact of French multinational SUEZ’s management of Sen’Eau, which has resulted in exorbitant water bills and unreliable services for residents and workers alike. According to Ba, SUEZ’s operations have been characterised by the exploitation of workers and attempts to silence union advocates, eroding public trust in corporate-led water management. Sen’Eau is a Senegalese company responsible for the production and distribution of drinking water in urban and peri-urban areas of Senegal. Established on January 1, 2020, it succeeded the former Senegalese water company, Sénégalaise des Eaux (SDE), as part of a public-private partnership aimed at improving water services in the country. The company’s ownership structure is predominantly Senegalese, with 55 percent local ownership. The remaining shares are held by international partners, including the French utility company SUEZ, which owns 45 percent and serves as the leading technical partner.
Gideon Muya from Biodiversity and Biosafety Kenya shared insights into the fallout from Kenya’s amended Water Act, which accelerated privatisation and led to a spike in water tariffs, disproportionately impacting rural communities. He explained that these legislative changes were implemented with little to no public consultation, leaving communities unprepared and uninformed about the forces driving their increased financial burden and deteriorating water quality.
In light of mounting evidence of the severe and escalating consequences of water privatisation—whether directly imposed or disguised as public-private partnerships—OWORAC urged African governments to defend water as a public good and put a stop to all forms of privatisation. The coalition called for an end to corporate impunity and demanded that governments implement participatory governance models to ensure equitable water access and distribution. Such models, they argued, will further support the realisation of Africa’s long-term development goals, including the betterment of public health, agricultural growth, and economic stability.
The press conference launched a week-long series of actions, including community engagement sessions, media outreach, and policy dialogues, aimed at amplifying the demand for public accountability in the management of water.
Other images of the Event
