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Sanwo-Olu Advocates for Sustainable Financing to Address Water Crisis
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu addressed a United Nations climate change conference-side event in Dubai on Friday, appealing for sustainable private and philanthropic financing to tackle the inadequacies in the state’s water infrastructure.
During the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu revealed the stark reality of Lagos, a city with over 22 million residents, receiving only 210 million gallons of its 700 million daily potable water needs.
In his words, “Given our meagre resources, it is really a challenge, but we certainly cannot continue to give excuses. This gap is being felt by underserved communities, and the risk to the public is high.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized that Lagos requires less than 1% of the global $1.7 trillion clean water investment gap and expressed hope that the conversation at the event would lead to sustainable solutions meeting the water needs of millions.
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He stated, “Our goal is making committed partners believe in the economic viability of their investments.”
Highlighting the impact of irregular electricity on water infrastructure, the governor called for equity in channelling climate financing to cities like Lagos, where large youth populations are particularly susceptible to the effects of inadequate resources.
He asserted, “It does not really matter which part of the world we come from; we all need equal access and must be able to hold ourselves accountable for this. In channelling resources, equity has to be a major focus of the global response.”
The event, organized by the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum and Sustainable Market Initiative, is part of the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) at the Dubai Exhibition Centre.
The Valuing Water roundtable during the COP28 climate talks saw anti-poverty groups and corporations stressing the need for increased investments in clean water projects globally.
