World Bank-backed water projects fail in Bauchi, Ekiti, Rivers, CAPPA report reveals

A recent report by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has exposed the failure of a World Bank-funded water project in Bauchi, Ekiti, and Rivers states.

The project, backed by a $250 million loan under the Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (NUWSRP3), was intended to enhance water access but has instead left communities without clean water while saddling the states with long-term debt.

CAPPA’s report, titled Big Debt, Big Thirst, highlights how the privatization-driven model of the World Bank has systematically denied millions of Nigerians their right to water. Speaking at the report’s launch in Lagos, CAPPA Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi revealed that despite heavy investments in infrastructure, many communities still suffer from water scarcity, rising tariffs, and decaying facilities.

In Ekiti State, significant funds were allocated to the Ero and Ureje dams under NUWSRP3, yet residents of areas like Iworoko and Olorunsogo continue to face severe water shortages. Many households who paid between N5,000 and N50,000 for prepaid water meters and connections remain without regular supply, forcing them to rely on expensive alternatives like sachet water and private boreholes.

Bauchi State has faced similar challenges, with CAPPA noting that despite investments in upgrading infrastructure and corporatizing the state’s water board, persistent electricity shortages have rendered many water facilities non-functional. Meanwhile, in Rivers State, the project collapsed entirely, leading to the World Bank withdrawing funding after $31 million had already been disbursed, further increasing the financial burden on the state.

Critics argue that the World Bank’s push for water privatization in Nigeria, and Africa at large, has worsened inequalities rather than improving public services. Civil society groups have long opposed the privatization model, citing previous failures, including Lagos State’s abandoned attempt to commercialize its water sector in 2015. CAPPA insists that prioritizing profit over public welfare has made water access even more difficult for vulnerable communities.

With Nigeria set to secure six additional loans totaling $2.23 billion from the World Bank in 2025, CAPPA is urging the government to rethink its approach to infrastructure financing. The organization callsfor an end to failed privatization policies and a return to public-sector control of essential utilities. It also advocates for increased budgetary allocations and the use of natural resource revenues to fund sustainable water projects.

Government officials in the affected states have yet to provide a response to the report’s findings. Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Bauchi State Governor, the Commissioner for Information in Ekiti, and representatives from the Rivers State government were unsuccessful. A World Bank representative in Abuja, who initially promised to comment on the issue, had not responded at the time of publication.