Lagos warns unlicensed borehole drilling risks sealing and prosecution

The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) warned on October 29 that drilling a borehole or abstracting groundwater in Lagos without its authorisation is illegal, and that offending facilities will be sealed and those responsible prosecuted.

In a statement published on Thursday, the commission's Executive Secretary, Barrister Oluwabukola Khadijah Adeyemo, said LASWARCO is empowered under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017 to regulate borehole drilling, groundwater abstraction and water supply services. “Drilling or abstracting groundwater without LASWARCO authorisation is illegal and punishable under the Law,” she said.

The official case: contamination and subsidence risks

The commission said unregulated drilling can contaminate groundwater, contribute to land subsidence and threaten the long-term water security of millions of Lagos residents. In August 2025, state officials raised concerns that residents in the Lekki axis could be exposed to polluted water because of poor wastewater treatment practices. Lagos began regulating borehole drilling and groundwater extraction in 2022.

Millions depend on boreholes, reviving an old controversy

The warning is sensitive because millions of Lagos households depend on boreholes, wells and water vendors precisely because public supply remains unreliable. A similar regulatory push in 2017 drew criticism from civil society groups, and a United Nations expert warned against criminalising people who depended on private water sources. The latest statement does not specify permit charges, penalties or concessions for low-income households.

Residents and community leaders were urged to report suspected illegal drilling via the commission's hotline on 0816 878 2223 or in person at its office on the third floor of Block 19 at the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.

Sources: LASWARCO statement, October 29, 2026; Business Post, The News Guru, QNC News and Silverbird TV reports, October 29-30, 2026.