A Background of Water Management in Lagos
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The History of Lagos' existing Waterworks and Major Corporations
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2024-08-16T15:41:50+00:00
In 1901, the Iju waterworks were implemented by the Federal Ministry of Works, which was the first water supply system in the city. At the time, their infrastructure was much more advanced than surrounding cities. Lagos found a way to retrieve water from the water trenches within the Iju hills, rather than taking water from rivers or dug-up wells. In the early 1940s, the government decided to expand the capacity of the existing waterworks so they could supply other areas in Lagos, and continued to expand throughout the 1950s.
When Lagos was declared a state created in 1967, the responsibility of the waterworks system was transferred to the state from the Federal government. Shortly after, a Water Board was established to ensure proper water supply throughout the State. The Lagos Water Corporation was implemented in the 1980s by the Water Board. Since the construction of the Iju waterworks, the city has been experiencing an increase in population size. The more the population grew, the less water was available to the public. Lagos has attempted to resolve this problem, but has done so unsuccessfully.
By the early 2000s, 3 major waterworks were in place: Iju, Adiyan, and Ishasi. The government was expanding instead of repairing the existing waterworks, which were beginning to deteriorate in function. Water leakages were found in the waterworks, which caused polluted water to appear in the public water supply. In present day, Lagos state has over 9 million residents, but only half the population has access to drinkable water.
