By PRISCILLA OSAJE

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and labour unions in the public utilities sector have called for the reversal of all privatisations in the electricity, water and waste sectors, saying the privatisation has failed to serve public interest.

Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Child Health Organisation, Kenya and Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS), made the call in a communique jointly issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

The unions' representatives: Comrade Alo Lawrence, Acting General Secretary, AUPCTRE, Comrade Opaluwa Simeon, Assistant General Secretary (Liaison), NUEE, Comrade Yusuf Zambuk of CFSF and Philip Jakpor, representative of CSOs, jointly signed the communique at the end of the 2025 National Public Utilities Summit in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit themed “Promoting Transparency and Decent Work in Supply Chains in Electricity, Water, and Waste Services in Sub-Saharan Africa” was organised by the Public Services International (PSI), in collaboration with DGB Bildungswerk Bund (DGB BW).

According to the communique, the one-day summit served as a critical platform for stakeholders to review the impact of the PSI-DGB Project on advocacy for decent work and campaigns against privatisation of the water, electricity and waste sectors.

The participants recommended urgent reversal of electricity sector, as well as all existing privatisations in the water and waste sectors.

"We also recommend suspension of ongoing or planned discussions with World Bank and other IFIs on the privatisation of public assets."

The participants called for adoption of Public-Public Partnerships (PUPs) as a sustainable, democratic, and just alternative, adding that PUPs have shown proven success in delivering quality public services without profit motives.

They also emphasised the need to reinvest in human capital within the public sector, adding that governments must allocate sufficient resources for the training, motivation, and retention of public sector workers to promote efficiency, innovation, and transparency.

According to them, strengthening social dialogue and collaboration among civil society, trade unions and other crucial sectors can hold government to account.

“Governments should put people before profit by halting the privatisation of essential services as we are reaffirming the public sector as the cornerstone of democratic development, equity, and sustainable livelihoods.”

The participants also emphasised the need for the PSI-DGB to critically support education projects among workers on the Public-Public Partnership that is at its infancy in Nigeria. (NAN)