According to the budget, the Borno State government has invested billions of naira to construct boreholes. But findings by IMRAN RIDWAN show that communities in the state are still in need of water
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in August 2024, at the Dala Daleri community of Jere Local government area of Borno State, a little boy of about nine years old is seen pushing a truck of water from a far distance. On the other side of the road, an elderly man is seated on the floor with an empty gallon.
Abdullah Mala, 75, the village head, said it has been almost five years since the people have been experiencing water scarcity.
“You see, our major problem is water scarcity. The only water borehole constructed has stopped working for more than four years now. At one point, the government supplied us with water in a tank, which just lasted for two months,” he said.
Similarly, Hadiza Bukar, a woman in her 50s, like many others interviewed in the community, complained about water scarcity. She pointed out the importance of potable water and believes that constructing a borehole would help the community with the prevailing water scarcity in the area.
“The costly water we buy from faraway places is often ‘tasty’; we have to add some local water treatment to it before using it,” she said.
Abdullah Malla, the village head at Dala Daleri
Lifesaving liquid
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, water scarcity is limiting access to safe water for drinking and practising basic hygiene at home, in schools, and in healthcare facilities. When water is scarce, sewage systems fail, and the threat of contracting diseases like cholera surges. Scarce water also becomes more expensive.
The report shows that the nonavailability of water in a community has a greater effect on women and children because they are often responsible for going to far places to fetch it. Also, carrying water over long distances is an enormous physical burden and can expose children to risks and exploitation.
Water projects
According to the budget, the Borno State government has invested billions of naira in constructing boreholes in the state. In 2021, N300 million was budgeted; in 2022, N1.2 billion, in 2023, the state government budgeted N3.9 billion for the construction of borehole projects. Also, it received N5.3 billion as foreign loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB), for the construction of boreholes and purchase of water treatment chemicals and industrial equipment.
A little boy of about 9 years old at Dala Daleri
Likewise, in 2023, the Borno State government received a grant of N437 million from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the construction of boreholes and sanitation.
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Despite these funds, when UDEME visited Dala Yajiwa, Dala Daley, Polo, and Jiddari communities under Jere LGA in August, there were no new borehole projects, and the existing ones had stopped working for three years.
Reactions
Bulama Muhammad, 50, the community head of Dala Yajiwa, expressed his frustration regarding the non-availability of water projects for three years. He says the water scarcity has caused a setback in the community’s development.
Bulama Muhammad, community head of Dala Yajiwa.
“You see, there was a point whereby we tried to dig a well at least that would give us access to water, but the well did not bring out water, which we later turned into a place to dump refuse. The issue of this water scarcity has made some people leave the community because nobody is willing to live in a community where there is no water,” he said.
He adds that the water they get from the water vendors is unhygienic.
“The water we rely on from the water vendors, aside from the expensive price we buy, is not always clean and is tasty. There was a time when some health workers told us that the borehole water that vendors were selling was not properly constructed and treated.”
More frustration
Muhammad Hassan, 42, a resident of Jiddari, said most of the government boreholes in their community are not functioning.
”As you can see, the borehole tank has been there for over five years without working. In a week, I spend almost N6,000 on water,” he said.
Similarly, Bukar Bulama, 43, a community head of Polo, said that the boreholes their federal lawmaker and ‘NGO’ did for them were not working.
”You see, at a point when those boreholes were spoiled, the people used to contribute money to repair them because that was the only way for them to survive. But now due to the hardship, people find it difficult to eat let alone repair the borehole,” he said.
He adds that they need the government to help them find solutions to water scarcity in their community.
Also, Hawau Giwa, 60, a resident of Polo, said that ”we are not requesting much from the government to sustain a very good living environment.
One of the non-functional boreholes at Polo
“One thing I know is that, for a government to be given credit for a job done (it) is by providing social amenities for the people. All that we are seeking now is potable water that they can drink, let them construct boreholes for them,” she said.
“For how long will I continue to be buying water from the water vendor? The country is very hard, everything is expensive,” she added.
Salisu Ibrahim, a 30-year-old resident of Dala Daleri, expressed frustration about the distance they go before getting water to buy. ”The problem is that before you get water, you will have to move far away. Having water in this community will develop everything, at least our children, and workers will bathe on time for the activities of the day,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aminat Idris, 40, a resident of Polo, said ”we are always happy during the raining season. The issue of water scarcity will be reduced because we will get enough water to drink and for domestic use. The water vendor will even reduce their price.”
The sbandoned water tank at Jiddari
Lawmaker, agency react
This reporter reached out to Hon. Ahmed Satomi, the federal lawmaker representing Jere Constituency (which covers the communities visited) in Maiduguri, via phone about the frustration being faced by his constituents.
He explained that he is a member of the National Assembly, and his major duty is to make laws and policies; the construction of boreholes is the primary duty of the state and local government.
“You see, I only get an intervention to construct water projects from the ministry or use my money for the construction, but right now my hands are tied because I have no grant to construct a borehole.”
He further added that he would follow up on the issue and make sure ”the necessary ministries are aware”.
Muhammad Isah, an official of the Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), said, “It is their duty here to construct and repair boreholes in any community.”
“Presently, our team is working on the construction of some borehole projects, and I believe that these communities you mentioned will be part of them.”
This reporter also reached out to Hon. Hajiya Inna Galadima, the chairperson of Jere local government, via phone. She did not pick up the calls or respond to messages.
This story was supported with funding from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)