Sanwo-Olu drops new clue on Adiyan Water Mega-project deadline

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

After years of speculation over when Lagos’ largest water project would finally come alive, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday broke the suspense: the massive 140-million-gallon-per-day Adiyan Water Project will be ready next year.

The announcement came during an unscheduled inspection tour of Adiyan Waterworks One and Two, as well as the adjoining treatment facilities spread across Iju, Adiyan and Akute in Ogun State,  a visit the Governor described as necessary to ensure nothing derails the timeline again.

Sanwo-Olu said each phase of the long-awaited project carries a capacity of 70 million gallons per day, a scale he believes will “change everything about water production and usage in Lagos State” once it becomes operational.

For years, the brown waters of the Ogun River have symbolised delay and under-capacity. Now, Sanwo-Olu says the state is finally close to turning that brown water blue and delivering it into millions of homes.

He confirmed that contractors have already laid over eight kilometres of pipes after the state secured rights-of-way from Ogun and compensated affected property owners.

Adding to the day’s developments, the Governor also commissioned the rehabilitated Akilo Mini Waterworks in Ogba, a one-million-gallon-per-day facility revitalised under the Urban Water and Sanitation Access Project led by WaterAid Nigeria in partnership with the Lagos State Water Corporation.

Sanwo-Olu described the project as a signal of his administration’s resolve to ensure every neighbourhood receives clean, reliable water built on sustainability and long-term investment.

He urged residents to protect the newly revived infrastructure, warning that pipe vandalism and meter bypassing threaten the survival of the water system the state is working hard to restore.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, who accompanied the Governor, said the Akilo project will bring immediate relief to over 100,000 residents across Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye and neighbouring communities.

He highlighted new upgrades, including automated kiosks, integrated meters and a modern control panel designed to improve efficiency and transparency.

WaterAid’s Country Director, Evelyn Mere, described the Akilo facility as a replicable model and revealed that the organisation will next rehabilitate Ojokoro Waterworks to extend safe water access to another 100,000 residents. She commended the Lagos Government’s push for blended financing and innovation in the WASH sector.

Managing Director of the Lagos Water Corporation, Engr. Mukhtaar Tijani, noted that Akilo Waterworks, dormant since 2012, is now fully revived and positioned to supply dependable water to households and businesses in Ogba, Agege and beyond.

The Ologba of Ogba, Oba Egbeyemi Oladimeji, called the project a long-awaited breakthrough for a community that had endured chronic water scarcity.

He urged residents to guard the facility jealously, adding that development only thrives when government and citizens work together.