Feature: In Kwara rural communities, constituency projects ease residents’ suffering after years of water scarcity
Feature: In Kwara rural communities, constituency projects ease residents’ suffering after years of water scarcity
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| constituency projects |
By: Ghazali Ibrahim
Tajudeen Alajagusi, 40, smiles as he remembers the days of water scarcity in his community. For decades, he and other members of the community did not have access to potable water but this changed not too long ago. It's been seven months since he stopped going through stress in getting water.
Like many other residents, Mr. Alajagusi benefits from the solar-powered borehole facilitated by Abdulyakeen Sodiq Alajagusi, the lawmaker representing Ilorin West and Asa Federal constituency.
Mr. Alajagusi lives in Ajagusi, a small town in Asa Local Government in Kwara State.
"We suffered getting water in this community because there's no borehole which is using solar like this one. We had only one hand pump borehole (JANGI) before which is a few miles away from the community. It is the only source of getting water as far as the community is concerned. Though it's still working, but this new borehole has reduced the stress of the residents", he said.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year.
Water scarcity is one of the challenges facing many rural communities in Nigeria.
The borehole project
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The Project.
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In 2022, the Zonal Intervention document captured a project titled," Provision and Installation of Solar powered Borehole in Ilorin West and Asa Federal constituency", facilitated by Abdulyakeen Alajagusi.
The water project, for which N40 million was budgeted for its execution, was placed under the supervision of the National Center for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM ILORIN).
UDEME gathered that these solar-powered boreholes were located in different communities of Ilorin West and Asa. Apart from the one at Ajagusi, other water projects were found at Budo-Egba, Aboto, Itanmo, Anifowoshe, and Ogbondoroko.
The projects
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The Project at Ajagusi.
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One borehole was constructed at Ajagusi, Asa Local Government. The other one was located at Budo-Egba.
At Ajagusi, UDEME noticed that the project was executed with the construction of four dispensing taps and two big plastic tanks Other accessories include solar power gadgets that are being used to pump the water and the signpost which contains information about the project.
Three of the taps were running while one of them have stopped serving residents.
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| 3 taps working out of 4. Photo Credit: The UDEME |
Meanwhile, a response sent by the Accountant General office to the letter requesting the cash backing of the project states that it is fully funded and indicated the current status of the project as 100% completed at Ajagusi and Budo Egba in Asa Local Government and Itanmo in Ilorin West local government.
The Borehole project brought positive changes — Residents
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| Resident of Budo-Egba. Photo Credit: The UDEME |
Like the people of Ajagusi, residents of Budo-Egba were also among the 60 million Nigerians who suffered from the scarcity of water. Before the construction of solar powered borehole at Budo-Egba, residents complained bitterly about the scarcity of water in the communities.
At Budo-Egba, UDEME noticed that the project was executed with three dispensing taps and one overhead tank.
Tawakalitu Abdullah,36, a baker, told UDEME that the only way they survive the scarcity of water while running their businesses is the well they dug in their compound. Many suffered the stress of walking 20 to 25 miles to get water.
"Initially we dug a well in our compound for the bread business but you know sometimes the well will get dried up during the dry season and we'll be left with no choice but to fetch water from a hand pump borehole which is 20-25 miles away,
"Bread business deals with having sufficient water in order to get a well-baked bread but with the scarcity of water in this community, this had hindered the sales of my business", she said.
After completion of the project around December 2022, it was handed over to Yusuf Labaika, a resident.
Mr. Labaika spoke about how he runs the borehole on behalf of the community.
"I use to open it every morning and close it by sunset. Since the completion, it has never given us any problem and in fact, residents of this community were happy about it," he said.
Another resident of the community, Salamatu Hassan, who runs a grocery store spoke to UDEME on the benefits she's been receiving since the construction of the water project.
"I've been receiving patronage from people who passed through this way to where the water is constructed anytime they want to fetch water and with this I'm happy, feeling grateful to the lawmaker who brought the project," she said.
Sulaiman Alajagusi, an aide to the lawmaker said a robust needs assessment was conducted before the projects were sited.
"When we decided on which community to construct the borehole, we engaged the service of surveyors who provide us with the best place that has abundant water for the satisfaction of the residents," he said.
This report was produced under the UDEME Project for the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
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