Trade unions and civil society organisations have called on the Federal Government to reverse all privatisations in the electricity, water, and waste management sectors.
They also urged the government to suspend ongoing discussions with the World Bank and other international financial institutions on further privatisation, and instead adopt Public–Public Partnerships as a sustainable, democratic, and equitable alternative.
These were among the key recommendations contained in a communiqué issued on Thursday following the Public Services International and GB Bildungswerk Bund Value Chains 2025 National Public Utilities Summit, held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The summit had the theme, “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity, Water, and Waste Services in Sub-Saharan Africa – Phase II.”
It brought together trade unions and civil society groups from Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda. Nigerian participants included the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, the National Union of Electricity Employees, and representatives of the Renevlyn Development Initiative, Citizens Free Services Forum, and the Child Health Organisation.
The meeting served as a platform to evaluate the impact of the PSI–DGB BW project on advocacy for decent work and campaigns against privatisation of public utilities across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The groups noted that privatisation had failed to serve the public interest, arguing that the electricity sector had not improved power generation or distribution.
“Instead, it has escalated tariffs and banded consumers according to economic status. In the water sector, it has shut off consumers, and in the waste sector, it has discouraged unionism.
“Public revenues have been plundered. Funds that could have been invested in improving public services have been diverted to privatised entities that claimed they would invest in utilities. For instance, the Nigerian government and international funders have injected over N2tn in bailout funds into the 11 power distribution companies without adding a single megawatt to the 12,500MW generated in 2013.
“Privatisation has increased corruption and conflicts of interest. Opaque contracts that bypassed due process have enabled private individuals and firms to fleece the country while holding on to public assets. For example, there is still no verifiable information on the bond raised by Visionscape Solution Services, which was granted executive fiat for waste management in Lagos in 2017 until it was forced to suspend operations.
“Workers in the water, electricity, and waste sectors face precarious conditions marked by low wages, arrears, job insecurity, casualisation, and lack of social protection such as pensions and unemployment insurance. These policies continue to undermine morale, service quality, and community well-being,” the communiqué stated.
The coalition further observed that many advocates of public-sector reforms were unfamiliar with the workings of the Public–Public Partnership (PUP) model and that discussions around it remained limited.
Consequently, the groups recommended the immediate reversal of privatisation in the electricity, water, and waste sectors, and the suspension of any ongoing or planned privatisation discussions with the World Bank and other financial institutions. They also called for the adoption of the PUP model as a sustainable and democratic alternative with proven success in delivering quality public services without profit motives.
They further urged the government to reinvest in human capital within the public sector by providing adequate training, motivation, and retention of workers to promote efficiency and transparency. The communiqué also called for strengthened social dialogue and collaboration among civil society, trade unions, and other critical stakeholders to ensure accountability and put people before profit, while expanding worker education initiatives on the emerging PUP model in Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address titled “On the March Towards Public Sector Solutions: The Public–Public Partnership Model,” Prof. Hosea Mande Mangu emphasised the need for cooperative systems that prioritise people over profit, noting that they offer a viable and transparent framework for managing essential public services.
The communiqué was jointly adopted by AUPCTRE, NUEE, CFSF, RDI, CHO, and UKCS.
