...Says $33.75m AFD-funded water scheme delivered major infrastructure upgrades, expanded production capacity
The Ogun State Water Corporation (OGSWC) has dismissed claims that the French Development Agency (AFD)-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project failed to deliver on its objectives, insisting that the persistent disruption of pipe-borne water supply in parts of Abeokuta is largely a consequence of damage to distribution pipelines during road construction and urban renewal projects undertaken by the immediate past administration.
The Corporation made the clarification in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Water Resources, Hon. Damilola Otubanjo, in response to a BusinessDay report published on July 3, 2026, under the headline, “Despite N13bn Investments, Pipe-Borne Water Still Luxury in Ogun Capital.”
While acknowledging that some residents of Abeokuta continue to experience irregular water supply, the Corporation said the report failed to provide the full context surrounding the implementation, achievements and current operational realities of the AFD-supported intervention.
According to the statement, the Ogun Urban Water Supply Project remains the only AFD-funded water infrastructure programme executed in the state. The project, implemented between March 2015 and December 2023 under a $33.75 million financing facility channelled through the Federal Government, significantly transformed the state's water supply infrastructure.
The Corporation explained that the intervention 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 water distribution network and the procurement of 6,000 water meters.
It noted that the project increased the treatment capacity of the Abeokuta Water Scheme from 25 million litres per day (MLD) to 82 MLD as part of a phased expansion programme designed to ultimately achieve a production capacity of 162 MLD.
Beyond increasing production capacity, the Corporation said the project delivered more than 250 kilometres of distribution pipelines and facilitated over 5,000 new customer connections across key areas of Abeokuta.
It added that rehabilitation of the barrage gates enhanced the reliability of raw water supply by about 85 per cent, reduced leakages and improved operational efficiency across the system.
The statement further highlighted institutional reforms introduced under the project, noting that these measures significantly reduced system downtime while improving customer service by shortening complaint resolution time from an average of five days to just 24 hours.
According to the Corporation, it currently serves more than 13,000 customers across Ogun State, with over 7,000 of them connected through the AFD-funded network in Abeokuta. It also stated that functional public water schemes remain operational in Ago-Iwoye, Sagamu and Ilaro.
Addressing concerns over the continued water shortages in parts of Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South, the Corporation attributed the challenges primarily to damage sustained by underground water distribution pipelines during extensive road construction and urban renewal projects carried out under the previous administration.
It stressed that the disruptions should not be interpreted as evidence of failure of the AFD-funded project, explaining that efforts are ongoing to reconnect affected communities as new transmission mains are installed alongside completed road infrastructure.
The statement cited Lakesin as one of the communities where water supply has already been restored through the newly constructed Temidire reservoir network.
The Corporation also outlined measures taken by the present administration to strengthen water service delivery since January 2025. These include the repair of more than 800 pipeline leaks and bursts, installation of over 1,200 additional water meters, provision of more than 3,600 new customer connections and the revival of previously dormant water schemes in several communities.
It added that a WhatsApp-based customer complaint resolution platform has also been introduced to improve service delivery and enhance communication with consumers.
According to the Corporation, the ongoing interventions have improved water quality compliance, reduced illegal connections and increased customer satisfaction across the state's public water supply system.
The statement further clarified that the N450 million appropriated in the 2024 Federal Ministry of Water Resources budget for the desilting of the Arakanga Water Reservoir is entirely separate from the AFD-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project.
It explained that the Federal Government-funded desilting project has yet to commence because the approved funds have not been released, adding that the Ogun State Government continues to engage the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to facilitate the project's implementation.
Reaffirming its commitment to ensuring sustainable access to potable water, the Ogun State Water Corporation maintained that the AFD-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project was fully completed and had delivered measurable improvements in water production, transmission, distribution, metering and institutional capacity.
The Corporation assured residents that ongoing efforts to replace damaged pipelines and reconnect affected communities would gradually restore regular water supply across Abeokuta, stressing that the current disruptions are temporary operational challenges arising from damaged infrastructure rather than a reflection of project failure.
