Securing water for today and tomorrow in Lagos, Africa’s largest megacity
On 11 July 2023, over 60 experts and policymakers from across local, national and international organisations met in Lagos to bring much-needed focus to the growing threats to water security in the state. As one of Africa’s most prosperous cities, the residents of Lagos demand a safe city that is fit for the future, with access to reliable water services that are protected from flooding, and where the rivers and lagoon are clean.
This conference of key partners across the water sector and beyond addressed the need to make sure that the prosperity of the population in Lagos is not held back by the impacts of climate change, and that water is available for all. This will not only require a new approach to water but also new thinking on investment.
The Resilient Water Accelerator, which will take forward the recommendations of this conference, has a mission to bring partners together to invest in the design and feasibility assessment of ambitious comprehensive climate-resilient water security programmes, unlocking new sources of transformational financing from a range of sources, and securing safe and sustainable water for all.
Kate Hughes, CEO of the Resilient Water Accelerator said:
“Protecting water supplies for people and nature is the best way to secure Lagos against the impacts of climate change. These impacts are already with us, and the people and businesses of Lagos are already seeing challenges – including in the quality of water available, with salinity from sea level rise and pollution from waste, all made worse by flooding. We are working to build a shared vision for Lagos’ water system, identifying solutions to get money flowing at scale and speed to where it matters.”