Road Projects, Not Failed Water Scheme, Responsible for Abeokuta Water Supply Disruptions – Ogun Government
ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State Water Corporation (OGSWC) has dismissed claims that the French Development Agency (AFD)-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project failed to deliver its objectives, attributing the persistent disruption of pipe-borne water supply in parts of Abeokuta to damage caused to water distribution pipelines during road construction and urban renewal projects carried out by the previous administration.
The clarification was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs and Water Resources, Hon. Damilola Otubanjo, in response to a BusinessDay report titled, “Despite N13bn Investments, Pipe-Borne Water Still Luxury in Ogun Capital,” published on July 3, 2026.
According to the Corporation, while some residents still experience irregular water supply, the report failed to provide the full context surrounding the implementation and impact of the AFD-supported water project.
The Corporation explained that the Ogun Urban Water Supply Project, implemented between March 2015 and December 2023 under a $33.75 million facility channelled through the Federal Government, significantly improved the state’s water infrastructure.
It said the project involved the rehabilitation and expansion of the Abeokuta Water Treatment Plant, construction of a 14.5-million-litre ground reservoir at Oke-Temidire, installation of transmission pipelines, expansion of the distribution network, and procurement of 6,000 water meters.
According to the statement, the project increased the treatment capacity of the Abeokuta Water Scheme from 25 million litres per day (MLD) to 82 MLD, with plans for a future expansion to 162 MLD. It also delivered more than 250 kilometres of distribution pipelines and over 5,000 new customer connections across Abeokuta.
The Corporation added that the rehabilitation of the barrage gates improved water supply reliability by 85 per cent, reduced water leakages, enhanced operational efficiency, and introduced institutional reforms that reduced customer complaint response time from five days to just 24 hours.
It disclosed that the Corporation currently serves more than 13,000 customers across Ogun State, including over 7,000 customers connected through the AFD-funded network in Abeokuta, while functional public water schemes are also operating in Ago-Iwoye, Sagamu, and Ilaro.
The statement maintained that the water supply challenges currently being experienced in parts of Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South are largely due to pipelines damaged during extensive road construction and urban renewal projects, rather than any failure of the AFD-funded project.
It noted that affected communities are gradually being reconnected as new transmission mains are installed, adding that areas such as Lakesin have already been restored to the network through the newly constructed Temidire Reservoir.
Highlighting recent achievements, the Corporation disclosed that since January 2025 it has repaired more than 800 pipeline leaks and bursts, installed over 1,200 additional water meters, provided more than 3,600 new customer connections, revived dormant water schemes in several communities, and introduced a WhatsApp-based customer complaint platform to improve service delivery.
The Corporation further clarified that the ₦450 million appropriated in the 2024 Federal Ministry of Water Resources budget for the desilting of the Arakanga Water Reservoir is a separate Federal Government intervention and is unrelated to the AFD-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project.
According to the statement, the funds for the desilting project have not yet been released and work has not commenced. It, however, assured residents that the state government would continue engaging the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to facilitate the project’s implementation.
The Ogun State Water Corporation reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to safe and potable water across the state, insisting that the AFD-funded project was fully completed and had delivered significant improvements in water production, transmission, distribution, metering, and institutional capacity.
It stressed that the current supply disruptions are temporary and primarily the result of damaged pipelines caused by road construction activities, rather than evidence of any failure of the water supply project.
