The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has warned against growing corporate control of water resources in Africa, calling on governments to prioritise citizens’ access to clean and affordable water over commercial interests.
This was stated by the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi on Monday October 12, 2026 in Lagos at the African Week of Action Against Water Privatisation 2026 joint press conference, themed “Reclaiming Africa’s Water Future: Public Water for All.”
Oluwafemi said access to water was a fundamental human right that should not be determined by individuals’ ability to pay, warning that water privatisation could deepen inequality and undermine the welfare of vulnerable commcommunities.
He said humanity was at a crossroads between protecting shared interests and allowing corporations to exercise increasing control over essential resources.
According to him, while global conflicts have often been associated with competition for oil and other natural resources, water is increasingly becoming a strategic resource capable of generating tensions among nations and communities.
“Maybe the war about water is not actually any distant future. Maybe the war has started,” Oluwafemi said, drawing attention to the strategic significance of waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen.
The CAPPA executive director warned that corporate influence over essential resources was becoming increasingly significant globally, particularly in Africa, where concerns over water privatisation have prompted resistance from civil society organisations and community groups.
He maintained that water management policies should be people-centred, insisting that governments and regional institutions had a responsibility to protect citizens’ interests rather than prioritise corporate profitability.
Oluwafemi described the campaign as an opportunity to urge the African Union and other continental institutions to formulate policies that uphold the rights and welfare of African citizens.
He argued that water, being indispensable to human survival, should not be treated solely as a commercial commodity accessible only to those who could afford it.
“We reject totalitarianism of water where only people who can pay” have access to the resource, he said.
He warned that commercial approaches to water management could leave low-income households struggling to obtain an essential resource, further widening existing inequalities.
Oluwafemi called on African governments to take responsibility for providing clean, accessible water for domestic use and to address shortcomings in public water delivery rather than criminalise citizens who demand better services.
He also urged governments to recognise that their primary responsibility was to the people, insisting that water policies should serve public needs rather than corporate interests.
On civic participation, the CAPPA executive director expressed concern over what he described as a growing clampdown on civil society organisations across the continent.
He warned that restrictions on civic space could undermine the ability of communities to organise, mobilise and hold governments and corporations accountable for decisions affecting their access to essential resources.
Oluwafemi commended organisations and campaigners participating in the African Week of Action Against Water Privatisation 2026, describing their activities as part of a broader continental effort to defend water as a human right.
He called for sustained collaboration among civil society organisations, community groups and other stakeholders to promote public water systems and ensure that access to clean water remains central to Africa’s development priorities.
Source: Thecrystalnews.ng
