Environment

LACSOP IN WASH AND CLIMATE CHANGE

LACSOP involvement with Safe Water Supply is centered around working with Lagos State to reach the target of being the largest megacity after Beijing and Mumbai. Yest we are aware that Lagos  is unable to meet the current demand for water since informal sellers (popularly called meirua) deliver water to households.

Gaining the long-term support and acceptance of consumers through efficient consumer outreach is vital for the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) to provide services on a sustainable basis. Therefore, complementing the technical and operating improvements being carried out on the 2nd National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (2NUWSRP) is a comprehensive stakeholder outreach program that is geared towards achieving improved revenue generation, cost recovery, financial viability, re-building relations between the communities and utilities, thereby furthering the sustainability of the Project’s planned achievements. At completion, the project is expected to have established a Citizen’s Financial Responsiveness System to ensure that water service provision reflects demands of all user groups and water is treated as an economic good.

Since 2012, LACSOP has worked in collaboration with the Lagos Water Corporation tp implement the 2NUWSRP which is funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD). The Project’s objectives are: (i) to improve the Reliability and the financial viability of selected urban water utilities: and (ii) to increase access to piped water networks in selected urban areas. The project emphasizes financing for water system rehabilitation, increasing treatment capacity and adding household and

standpipe connections in Lagos. Progress towards the Project objectives will be

measured through: (i) the increase in water delivered through existing and extended

networks; (ii) improvements in financial sustainability for Lagos Water Corporation

(LWC); and (iii) increase in the number of households having access to the piped

network.

In 2009, LWC engaged five (5) CSO partners for the five Distribution Service Areas

(DSA) of LWC described as follows

   1. Lagos Island / Victoria Island DSA

   2. Surulere / Apapa DSA

   3. Shomolu / Ikeja

   4. Agege / Owode, Badagry

   5. Ikorodu / Ogudu

LACSOP intervention – Enhanced Citizens’ Financial Responsiveness Project (ECFR)

The scope of our intervention involved

– conducting Bi-Annual Customer Surveys to sample LSWC customer opinions

and receive feedback on various issues in served and unserved areas of Lagos

– conducting community training and workshops on key water provision issues

– Participating in CSO training to be provided under the project and

– Development of monitoring & evaluation indicators for LSWC service delivery

The Consultants’ assignment was completed in December 2011 after working 3 years

and the consultants have been able to provide LSWC survey reports showing customer

perception of LWC activities in the last 3 years as well conducting a number of workshops and seminars during that period. However, since the number of respondents was limited to 250, the reach of the surveys were limited. Also the CSO partners developed a limited CDA/CSO/Stakeholder database.

With the renewed focus of LWC on Commercial viability, LWC, since June 2013 has been working with another Consultant, Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO), in developing and implementing a Citizen’s Financial Responsiveness System. 

2.0 Objectives

The objectives of the Citizen’s Financial Responsiveness Systems are:

(i) To establish relationship between the World Bank, LWC and Civil Society based on partnership

for the delivery of water services;

(ii) To promote Citizen’s participation in Water supply services.

(iii) To promote willingness to pay from customers and enable LSWC financial sustainability.

(iv) To sensitize and mobilize water consumers towards achieving cost recovery for water supply

services

(v) To Educate Consumers organize workshops/Seminars on water supply and Sanitation  conservation,  revenue generation and environmental issues

(vi) To educate water consumers on responsibilities to LWC under existing water law

(vii) To refer customer complaints to  LWC for prompt  response

(viii) To build knowledge and capacity of CSO Partners, customers and customers representative in key water provision issues. 

(ix) To establish a data base of Community Based Associations, Interest groups, associations and generally all CSOs in the service areas

(x) Improve communications with LWC customers through the mass media, Customer Relations,

and the Customer Care Unit.  

Water Sector Financing, Citizens Responsibility & Governments’ Role

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