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“Water get enemy”! Michel Deleen, Consular General of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, stated as he referenced the song “Water No Get Enemy” by Nigerian music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti to highlight the paradoxical nature of water.
“Water no get enemy if you want to wash, na water you go use,” he quoted as he pointed out the reality that water can indeed become an enemy when it is contaminated or causes flooding.
“‘Water no get enemy” because water is pure, but as soon as water is contaminated or it has flooded your street or house, you have an issue,” Deleen explained while speaking at the fifth annual Lagos International Water Conference (LIWAC), held on June 25-26, 2024, at Eko Hotel, titled, “Financing Water & Sanitation for a Greater Lagos,”
He shared insights from the Netherlands’ experience in managing water, noting that despite their extensive control measures, occasional floods still occur. He stressed the significance of having portable and clean water, which remains a core reason for the Netherlands’ participation in the conference.
“In the Netherlands, we have been fighting water for centuries and have managed to control it, although we are sometimes surprised by floods. But the important thing is that of portable and clean water which is one of the reasons we are here”.
“We’ve talked about WASH, waterborne diseases and how to prevent them, we talk about water treatment through treatment blocks. All these are things we have built up knowledge that we will be sharing to help Lagos, Deleen said, adding that, “We must ensure that systems are in place to manage everything, and that is when we can truly say, ‘Water no get enemy.’”
Supporting Deleen’s perspective, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, echoed the sentiment that while ‘water no get enemy’, it also faces numerous threats.
“Just like Michel has said, quoting Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s song, ‘water has no enemy’, but it’s got a lot of enemies. It’s got a lot of enemies because we are not all sincere, serious, and true to ourselves,” the Governor remarked, urging everyone to reflect on their roles in addressing water issues.
“If we say that water does not have an enemy, we all need to ask ourselves, ‘how well are we playing this role? How well are we moving from lip service to actually resolving these issues?” he asked while reaffirming the need for collective action and sincerity in tackling the challenges of water and sanitation.
“Let us use ourselves as the change that we want and desire because it is only when we do that, indeed, water will not have an enemy”.
The LIWAC 2024 conference highlighted the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in Lagos, drawing on global expertise and local commitment to achieve a greater Lagos.
Report by Blessing Osemobor
