LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ

The Lagos State Government has signed a landmark one-year Memorandum of Understanding – MoU with China Harbour Engineering Company – CHEC and Naston Engineering Nigeria Limited to overhaul its water infrastructure.

Announced by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, this strategic partnership sets the stage for a major engineering project designed to bridge the severe water supply deficit in the rapidly growing Lekki axis.

At the core of the agreement are two major project lots aimed at transforming water delivery. The first lot involves a highly technical engineering feat: laying a water transmission pipeline beneath the bed of the Lagos Lagoon directly into the Lekki Concession Area. The second lot focuses on downstream distribution network activities, mapping out the installation of modern metering systems and securing last-mile connections to residential households and local commercial businesses.

This one-year preparatory phase is expected to yield a comprehensive technical report and an implementation framework. These blueprints will ultimately culminate in a formal concession agreement between the Lagos State Government and the consortium to kickstart actual construction.

Key stakeholders present at the signing included CHEC Executive Director Luke Lin, Naston Engineering Managing Director Kole Funsho, and the Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation, Mukhtaar Tijani.

The sub-lagoon pipeline project aligns with a broader, aggressive push by the ministry to expand the state’s water production capacity. Ongoing rehabilitation works at the critical Iju, Adiyan, and Akute water intakes are projected to push capacity utilization to 60% by August 2026. Furthermore, construction of the massive 70 million gallons per day Adiyan II Water Treatment Plant is currently 85% complete and is expected to provide clean water to an additional three million residents in western Lagos.

To complement these massive treatment plants, the state is also rehabilitating five mini and micro waterworks for completion by November 2026. Additionally, a public-private partnership pilot is underway across seven other micro stations, grouped into four lots. Alongside physical infrastructure, the Lagos Water Corporation is digitizing its distribution network—a move aimed at curbing non-revenue water loss, tracking usage accurately, and securing the supply grid.

Despite these grand plans, the state faces a steep mountain to climb regarding daily accessibility. Current statistics show that while network coverage stands at 44%, only about 1.5 million residents are actively served by the public water system, with many lacking physical connection to household taps.

Consequently, residents in expanding corridors like Lekki and Ajah still rely heavily on expensive private boreholes, water tankers, and purification systems, underscoring the urgent need for timely last-mile project execution.