Sections:
Water flows for Asma'u in Nigeria
18 March 2008
Image courtesy of Fredrik Naumann/Panos Pictures
Asma’u Ya’u lives with her husband and two young children in the Wudil area
of Kano, northern Nigeria. Until recently, Asma’u’s family bought water from
street sellers who collected it from the nearby river. Although the water was
often unclean, the family had no real alternative. To attempt to remove
impurities, they would pass it through a fabric gauze stretched
across a bowl.
Asma'u's situation is not unusual in the area. Due to inadequate supplies, many people rely on
water from open wells, streams, or the local river, from which there is no guarantee of
cleanliness. Although the Wudil Regional Water Scheme (WRWS) was established in
1992, problems with the original design, and a lack of investment in maintenance
and repairs, reduced its ability to deliver water to local people.
New wells and pumps
Since 2001, a DFID programme has collaborated with the state water board to alleviate the situation in Wudil. Before the programme began, just two of the area's 22 tubewells worked, and only two pumps were operational - leaving almost 200,000 people with an irregular, and in some cases non-existent water supply.
Now, old tubewells have been repaired and an additional two have been constructed. New high-lift pumps have been provided, the water tanks at the site rehabilitated and the diesel tanks replaced.
In addition, plant management is being reformed to ensure that water supplies
stay reliable long into the future. To this end, the programme has supported the
creation of a new, semi-autonomous unit within the water board that is staffed
with skilled individuals. Further training has been provided to its members in modern water supply management techniques, operation and maintenance,
and tariff collection and accounting.
Back
to top
Linking with local people
Another innovation is community associations. As well as collecting tariffs, these help to build a link between government services and consumers - something that has been lacking in Nigeria for many years.
Asma’u’s family heard about the recent developments through the local community association. They were informed about the new water supply and the role of local government authorities, and told what they would need to contribute.
An end to good money for dirty water
Initially, local people were sceptical about the Government's ability to deliver clean water. However, now they've seen what is achievable, they are willing to pay for this vital service.
Before Wudil was rehabilitated, Asma’u and her family paid 700 to 800 Naira (£3.00 to £3.25) per month to the street sellers for dirty water. Once the new tariff system is fully functioning, they will pay a similar amount for the clean water that is pumped directly into their small courtyard.
Now that Asma’u and her family have a regular and safe supply of water flowing to their house, life has changed. As her husband, Ya’u Mohammed, explains: "It has greatly affected our lives: washing our bodies, washing clothes, the cleanliness of the environment." Many others in the area - some of whom are receiving clean water for the first time in 10 years - would echo his words.
Key facts
- The project in Wudil is part of DFID’s State and Local Government Programme (SLGP). This aims to strengthen the capacity of state and local governments to plan and deliver basic services, and to demonstrate how improved governance can deliver practical benefits to the poor.
- DFID has committed £32.2 million to SLGP over eight years (2001 to 2008).
- Kano State Government is committed to the project in Wudil and has already provided 70,000,000 Naira (£280,000) to support further improvement of the water plant. At present, the four local governments supplied by the scheme are contributing towards running costs.
- With continuing leadership from Kano State Government, the new system could be replicated across Kano, potentially supplying water to more than one million people. This will be helped by the passing of a new water policy by the State House of Assembly, which will refocus the role of the water board away from its current implementation role towards a regulatory one.
- In 2004, just 37.6% of Kano's population had access to clean water. In order to achieve Millennium Development Goal 7, Kano (and Nigeria itself) needs to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015.
Links