Thousands of residents in Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State now have access to safe water and decent sanitation after WaterAid Nigeria commissioned five new climate-resilient WASH facilities funded by DP World.
The facilities were handed over on Thursday in Kofar Gari, Tofu. They include three solar-powered water schemes in Fulatari, Kofar Gari and Gurduba, and two inclusive public sanitation facilities at Misau Motor Park and Madakiri Market.
Speaking at the ceremony, WaterAid Nigeria country director Evelyn Mere said the projects were designed around needs identified by the communities.
“In Fulatari, the water people have relied on for generations is not safe to drink. Families have experienced the consequences directly, through illness, frequent hospital visits, and the kind of worry no parent should carry. Today, that changes,” Mere said.
Represented by the Head of the WaterAid Business Development and Partnerships, Mr Emmanuel Iorkumbur, the Executive Director said the Gurduba scheme followed more than a year of searching for a productive borehole.
She disclosed that the community now has clean water reticulated across 300 metres.
Mere cited the Misau Motor Park facility as a model of partnership. She noted that the government, through the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP, under the African Development Bank, provided the water component to complement the toilet facility built by WaterAid.
“That is what complementarity looks like in practice, and it is a model we hope to see replicated,” she added.
The country director urged volunteer hygiene promoters trained under the project to safeguard the facilities. She also thanked residents of Kofar Gari, Fulatari, Gurduba, Misau Motor Park, and Madakiri Market for their “trust, participation, and patience”.
“This is your facility. This is your water. And this is your future,” Mere told the communities.
WaterAid Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to working with communities, government and partners to ensure universal access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
Also speaking was the General Manager of the Bauchi State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, Engr Dr Samaila Jibrin El-Pateh, who represented the Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Sama’ila Jibrin described the project as “a monumental step forward for the state”.
“We aren’t just handing over concrete, pipes and solar panels. We are handing over dignity, health and a more secure future,” Dr Jibrin said.
He said the initiative, titled “Increasing Access to Climate Resilient WASH for Women in Bauchi State”, targets vulnerable communities within the Chad Basin. It is expected to reach at least 15,000 people with basic water supply, 4,000 with hygiene behaviour change interventions, and 1,000 with basic sanitation.
According to him, the focus on women was deliberate. “When women spend less time searching for water, girls stay in school, households stay healthier, and local commerce thrives,” he stated.
Dr Jibrin thanked the Bauchi State Government for creating an enabling environment and commended DP World for funding the project and WaterAid Nigeria for its technical implementation.
“Our profound gratitude goes to our core sponsor, DP World. Your generous funding has turned a critical need into a life-changing reality,” he said.
He urged leaders and residents of the benefiting communities to take ownership of the facilities.
“These facilities belong to you. Protect and maintain them so they can serve your children and generations to come,” he said.
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