Ogun corporation attributes Abeokuta water disruption to road projects

The Ogun State Water Corporation (OGSWC) has attributed the persistent disruption of pipe-borne water supply in parts of Abeokuta to damage inflicted on water distribution pipelines during road construction and urban renewal projects executed by the previous administration, dismissing claims that the French Development Agency (AFD)-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project failed to achieve its objectives.

The Corporation made the clarification in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs and Water Resources, Hon. Damilola Otubanjo, while responding to a BusinessDay report titled “Despite N13bn Investments, Pipe-Borne Water Still Luxury in Ogun Capital,” published on 3 July 2026.

According to the statement, while acknowledging that some residents of Abeokuta still experience irregular water supply, the report failed to present the full facts surrounding the implementation and impact of the AFD-funded intervention.

The Corporation explained that the Ogun Urban Water Supply Project remains the only AFD-supported water infrastructure project undertaken in the state. Implemented between March 2015 and December 2023 under a $33.75 million facility channelled through the Federal Government, the project substantially upgraded the state’s water infrastructure.

It said the intervention included 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.

The statement noted that the project increased the treatment capacity of the Abeokuta Water Scheme from 25 million litres per day (MLD) to 82MLD as part of a phased expansion towards an ultimate capacity of 162MLD. It also delivered more than 250 kilometres of distribution pipelines and over 5,000 new customer connections across major parts of the state capital.

According to the Corporation, rehabilitation of the barrage gates improved water supply reliability by 85 per cent, significantly reduced leakages and enhanced operational efficiency. It added that institutional reforms introduced under the project reduced system downtime and shortened customer complaint response time from five days to just 24 hours.

The Corporation disclosed that 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, while functional public water schemes are also operating in Ago-Iwoye, Sagamu and Ilaro.

It maintained that the supply challenges being experienced in parts of Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South were largely the result of pipelines damaged during extensive road construction and urban renewal works carried out under the previous administration, rather than any shortcomings of the AFD project.

The statement explained that the Corporation has continued to reconnect affected communities as new transmission mains are installed, noting that areas such as Lakesin have already been restored to supply through the newly constructed Temidire reservoir network.

Highlighting recent progress, the Corporation said 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 resolution platform.

It said the interventions have improved water quality compliance, reduced illegal connections and increased customer satisfaction across the state’s water supply system.

The Corporation also clarified that the N450 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 has no connection with the AFD-funded Ogun Urban Water Supply Project.

It noted that the funds are yet to be released and that the desilting project has not commenced, assuring residents that it would continue to engage the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to facilitate its implementation.

Reaffirming its commitment to expanding access to potable water across the state, the Corporation insisted 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, stressing that the current supply disruptions are temporary consequences of damaged pipelines, not evidence of project failure.

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