Sustaining Water Supply: World Bank Trains 70 on Borehole Maintenance in Yobe

The Project Coordinator, Jidawa (middle) with some of the trainees with their tool  kits

 By JOE Hemba, Damaturu 

The World Bank Northeast recovery program, Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project(MCRP) for North East Nigeria has commenced the training of about 70 community leaders and mechanics for the management and repairs of solar powered hybrid boreholes in more than 35 communities in Yobe State. 

The training program which was held at Cedar Shopping and Recreation Centre Damaturu is  tagged Village Level Operation and Maintenance(VLOM) will equip the trainees with basic knowledge of maintenance, management as well as encourage community ownership which in the long term enhance sustainability of the projects. 

The Yobe State Project Coordinator of MCRP, Mr. Musa Idi Jidawa while making his presentation at the opening of the training program said the training has become necessary due to the alarming rate of project failure especially in the water sub-sector.

 Mr. Jidawa while quoting from  the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey(MICS) of 2017 by the Federal Government and UNICEF noted the noted the increase in access to rural water supply but however observed that local investments at the states and local government are the only sustainable measures of such tempo. 

“Access to safe water and sanitation is a major challenge in Nigeria. Data from the 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by Federal Government of Nigeria and UNICEF indicates a 29% increase in access to rural water supply, from 25% in 1990 (JMP) to 54% in 2017. Extending access to improved sources of water to currently unserved population by 2030 will require huge investments. However, in the absence of effective O&M culture at the state level and Local Government Wash Departments/Units at the local governments level, results in frequent breakdown of existing water supply systems. A recent world bank conducted WASH Poverty Diagnostic study reveals that 46% of all water schemes in Nigeria are non-functional (as of 2015) and nearly 30% fail in the first year of operation after construction. Low access to improved water coupled with poor sustainability and low functionality of existing inventory of water supply schemes will further swell the huge budgetary resources required to meet the SDG target on universal access to basic water supply by 2030,” Jidawa said. 

Mr. Jidawa inspecting the tools kit with the rep of the Emir of Damaturu , Engr. Lawan and chairman House Committee on water, Hon. Digma

According to him, the low functionality of the water facilities is attributed to “lack of preventive maintenance, poor quality or non-availability of spare parts, non-availability of trained local area mechanics, absence of caretakers or lack of skills amongst the caretakers, lack of community ownership, vandalization by miscreants,”, stressing that, “there is the urgent need to address the key reasons for low functionality of water facilities so that the communities can get safe and clean drinking water close to their homes”.

 The project Coordinator also expressed delight over what he called the “accelerated development of critical infrastructure in the state under the purposeful leadership of His Excellency Hon. Mai Mala Buni”. 

While setting the objectives of the training, the lead Consultant, Dr. Kachalla Mohammed explained that the basic knowledge from the training will have a multiplier effect on the trainees and the community at larger scale. 

In his good will message, the State House of Assembly Committee Chairman for Water Supply Maina Digma called on the participant to pay rapt attention and transfer the knowledge to the community after their training, just as he praised Governor Buni for his commitment to rural infrastructural development.

 There was another Good will message from His Royal Highness, the Emir of Damaturu who was represented by a title holder in the Emirate, Engr. Maisanda Lawan. 

ImpactOnlineNigeria recalled that MCRP, Yobe State Office had in August convened a meeting of Stakeholders in the water sector and the humanitarian community to draw out a road map on the management and maintenance of water facilities across the state.

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