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EWJNet: As the largest investor in water projects on the African continent, the World Bank is the force behind the dismantling of state-owned water companies to pave the way for privatizers
By Valentine Amanze
The Environment and Water Justice Network (EWJNet) has called on African countries to be wary of financial inducements attached to the World Bank’s water privatisation projects in the continent.
It gave the advice at the inception of the ministerial level engagements of the 2024 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group in Washington DC, the United States.
The EWJNet said that as the largest investor in water projects on the African continent, the World Bank is the force behind the dismantling of state-owned water companies to pave the way for privatizers.
EWJNet in a statement, said that the meeting in Washington, which supposedly opens a window for the public to engage the bank through live-streamed events, is a closed-ended charade as recommendations from the public are not considered in the institutions’ decision-making processes.
The Executive Director of Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Comrade Sani Baba, said:
“African governments have enough examples of how World Bank funded initiatives pave the way for disastrous privatization of water resources.
“From Nigeria, where the business arm of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), provided advisory services to the Lagos government to embark on privatization of its abundant water resources to the federal level where it also supported the now rested National Water Resources Bill, the disruptive imprint of the bank is in the public domain.”
Contributing, the Executive Director of Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Jakpor, said: “The annual simulation of public engagement by the World Bank is a meeting to further refine strategies of privatization of water and not targeted at the glaring human rights issues that are replete with privatized utility on the continent.
“Unfortunately, in country after country, these initiatives couched as public private partnerships have only generated tales of woe and a portfolio of inter-generational debt.”
Corroborating, the Executive Director of Child Health Organisation, Vicky Urenma, said, “We do not believe in the so-called window of public engagement in the meetings that the World Bank created on social media.
“The women and young girls who are impacted negatively by water privatization and risk their lives to go long distances to get water daily are not on twitter or the other platforms. But they are the real victims of the policies conceived in the meetings.”
Also read: AWWASHNet, ERA celebrate World Water Day, kick against water privatisation
Executive Director of Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Chima Williams, said, “Water privatization is a legacy of colonialism and imperialism being foisted on Africa’s water systems. It must be rejected because it is a form of colonialism which also comes with debts and the indignity that our communities experience when their common patrimony is stolen from them.”
Coordinator of the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) Africa, Reverend Kolade Fadahunsi, lamented: “It is disheartening that despite growing remunicipalizations and the recognition of the effectiveness of public sector investments, the World Bank is hell-bent on forcing privatization of water on the continent.
“The ongoing meeting in Washington is only an opportunity to reaffirm failure through technical jargons.
“African governments must refuse to be hoodwinked, Privatisation of water is a trap.
“As the global water crisis continues to grow and affect over two billion people, the rigorously promoted privatization of water utilities has continued to fail in quality and service delivery.
“Across Africa, private corporations are shutting water to thousands of poor people. It is happening in Kenya and South Africa where poor people who cannot pay for water are denied access. For Mali and Niger, water privatisation is tied to debt relief.
“Ghana water rates hit the roof after privatisation leaving one third of the population without water. Senegal and Gabon that the private water industry prides as a success experience frequent water service interruption, environmental and public health threats that have led to illnesses.”
EWJNet comprises civil society, labour, faith-based, women-led and grassroots organisations advocating for the protection and upholding of the human rights to safe and affordable water within the context of public control.
Some of the members of the network are:
Citizen Free Service Forum (CFSF), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) and Child Health Organisation, among others.
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