The Our Water Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has expressed concerns over what it described as the growing push toward water privatisation across Africa.
The group also frowned at the systemic exclusion of affected communities and civil society groups from ongoing discussions surrounding the implementation of the Africa Water Vision (AWV) 2063.
The concerns were raised following a regional consultation held recently in Abuja by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) as part of continental engagements on the First Implementation Plan (2026–2033) of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy.
The consultation brought together representatives from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), development partners, and regional institutions, ahead of the African Union’s designation of 2026 as the Year of “Ensuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
In a statement released after the meeting, OWORAC warned that the increasing emphasis on private sector participation, blended financing mechanisms, and public-private partnerships in the water sector could accelerate the 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.
“When essential public services are transferred to corporate actors, the human right to water risks being subordinated to profit-driven interests.”
The coalition also criticised what it described as the limited participation of grassroots communities, civil society organisations, and water workers’ unions during the Abuja consultation.
According to OWORAC, although the Africa Water Vision 2063 framework recognises the role of civil society in co-designing and implementing water policies, the recent consultation appeared to be dominated largely by government representatives and regional institutions.
“The people most affected by water shortages and sanitation failures must not be sidelined from decisions about Africa’s water future,” the coalition said.
“Community participation must be real, structured, and guaranteed.”
OWORAC further warned that workers in the water sector are increasingly being pushed into precarious conditions under privatised systems, stressing that workers and communities should remain central stakeholders in public water governance.
While acknowledging the importance of infrastructure investment, the coalition cautioned African governments against treating water primarily as an economic commodity.
“Water is first and foremost a public good and a human right,” the coalition stated.
“Policies that prioritise investor confidence over universal access and public accountability risk deepening inequality and worsening water insecurity for poor and vulnerable communities.”
The group also noted that the Abuja consultation provided limited clarity regarding financing mechanisms, implementation safeguards, and measures to prevent excessive private sector control of public water systems.
OWORAC referenced Senegal’s role in continental water governance, noting that the country currently chairs AMCOW and remains influential in shaping Africa’s water policy direction.
The coalition pointed to criticisms surrounding urban water management in Senegal, where water distribution is handled by Sen’Eau, a company largely controlled by the French multinational Suez.
According to the coalition, communities have reportedly raised concerns since 2020 over rising water tariffs, weak service delivery, transparency issues, and declining public oversight under the arrangement.
OWORAC also referenced allegations of intimidation and retaliation against unionised workers advocating for improved working conditions in the sector.
The coalition further highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing water challenges, noting that millions of Nigerians still lack reliable access to safe drinking water despite the country’s active participation in regional water policy discussions.
“Across Nigeria, many communities depend on private water vendors, boreholes, and other informal sources because public water systems have suffered years of neglect and underinvestment,” the statement noted.
“Despite various privatisation and commercialisation drives within the sector over the years, water delivery has not significantly improved for ordinary people.”
OWORAC called on African governments, regional institutions, and development partners to ensure that the implementation of the Africa Water Vision 2063 is guided by transparency, inclusiveness, public accountability, and public ownership of water systems.
The coalition urged governments to reject policies encouraging water privatisation and instead strengthen public water infrastructure while guaranteeing meaningful participation of communities, workers, and civil society groups in governance processes.
“Water is a public good,” OWORAC stated.
“Its future must be determined by the people who depend on it for life and dignity, not by profit.”
OWORAC is a coalition of grassroots organisations, trade unions, activists, and civil society groups from nearly a dozen African countries advocating for access to clean and affordable water as a fundamental human right rather than a profit-driven commodity.
