The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) says its water community serves an estimated 1.65 million residents, revising the earlier 1.03 per cent coverage its official earlier gave.
In an announcement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the corporation acknowledged that the sooner estimate was based mostly on a median of six people per connection, whereas its connections serve a number of households per plot.
“LWC currently has 34,424 registered plot connections. Based on an average of 48 residents per plot, these connections serve approximately 1.65 million residents, around 8.3 per cent of the State’s population of over 20 million,” the assertion mentioned.
The clarification adopted a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report quoting Rasaq Anifowoshe, LWC’s deputy director of company affairs and model administration, as saying the corporation’s 34,424 registered connections served 206,444 people, representing 1.03 per cent of Lagos’ estimated 20 million residents.
LWC mentioned its connections had been plot-based and that every plot served a number of households. Using a median of 48 residents per plot, the corporation estimated that its community served about 1.65 million people, or 8.3 per cent of the state’s inhabitants.
The corporation additionally mentioned no interview was authorised by it for the report. The earlier report, nevertheless, attributed the figures to Mr Anifowoshe in an interview with NAN.
Production beneath capability
Even with the revised the coverage estimate, LWC acknowledged that its manufacturing stays far beneath the put in capability of its amenities, attributing the shortfall to numerous challenges.
The assertion learn, “Lagos State’s put in water manufacturing capability has the potential to serve a considerably bigger proportion of the inhabitants. However, ageing infrastructure, energy provide constraints and ongoing rehabilitation works proceed to have an effect on operational efficiency and the reliability of provide in some areas.
“We acknowledge that vital challenges stay in assembly the rising demand for water throughout Lagos State. Population development and concrete growth require sustained funding in water manufacturing amenities, distribution infrastructure, operational effectivity and long-term planning. Our focus is on strengthening infrastructure, enhancing operational efficiency and increasing entry to dependable and sustainable water companies for residents throughout the State.
“We welcome informed public scrutiny of our performance and value accurate, transparent reporting. Discussions about water supply in Lagos must be based on a clear understanding of how the network operates, what the available figures measure and the work required to close the gap between demand and supply.”
In the NAN report, Mr Anifowoshe mentioned the corporation had an put in manufacturing capability of about 210 million gallons per day (MGD), in contrast with an estimated each day demand of 540 MGD throughout the state.
He famous that LWC’s 2025 manufacturing information confirmed a median each day output of seven.21 million gallons, about three per cent of its put in capability.
The corporation attributed its operational challenges to ageing infrastructure, energy provide constraints and ongoing rehabilitation works, which have an effect on the reliability of provide in some areas.
Many residents depend on boreholes and personal water distributors to fulfill their each day wants, with some spending 1000’s of naira on water.
Residents interviewed by NAN in Iponri, Oworonshoki, Costain, Apapa Road and Ebute Metta reported irregular provide, non-functional public amenities and insufficient water stress.
At Iponri Housing Estate, Adebayo Solomon mentioned his family spent about N1,500 each day on water from distributors, amounting to N45,000 a month.
In Oworonshoki, Amanda Ogbodo acknowledged that she spent between N2,200 and N3,600 weekly on vendor-supplied borehole water. She mentioned provide from LWC had improved in components of her space however remained unreliable for houses on larger floor.
Other residents informed NAN that failed public water amenities had pressured them to rely on personal sources.
Planned water initiatives
LWC mentioned it deliberate to rehabilitate and improve micro and mini water remedy crops, prolong its distribution community and enhance infrastructure monitoring to scale back water losses.
In the sooner report, Mr Anifowoshe mentioned the rehabilitation of the remedy crops was anticipated to make water accessible to greater than 5.6 million households when accomplished.
He additionally listed the proposed Igbonla 100 MGD water remedy plant, which he mentioned would increase provide alongside the Lekki-Epe hall.
The corporation has individually introduced plans to rehabilitate Ojokoro Mini Waterworks and assemble Lagos Island Micro Waterworks.
NAN reported that the Lagos State Government’s second-quarter 2026 funds implementation report confirmed that 36.2 per cent of the permitted annual funds for enhancing 15 current mini and micro waterworks had been spent as of 30 June. Expenditure on the Adiyan Phase II Waterworks challenge stood at 4 per cent of its permitted annual funds.
The figures present funds expenditure however don’t set up the initiatives’ completion standing or how a lot water they at the moment provide.
LWC mentioned it remained dedicated to enhancing water provide throughout the state.
For residents who rely on personal distributors, the important thing query stays whether or not the deliberate initiatives will translate right into a extra dependable public water provide.
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