By Muhammed Ogwu, Lafia
The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, a collaboration between the Government of Nigeria and the World Bank, has constructed 17 solar-powered boreholes in 17 communities and 408 solar-powered streetlights in 83 communities in Akwanga Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.
The federal impact assessment team, led by Mbalamen Yuwa, disclosed this while speaking to journalists immediately after inspecting the projects in Akwanga LGA.
Our correspondent reports that these communities had been ravaged by farmer-herder conflicts in Akwanga LGA.
According to her, the projects were successful due to the collaborative efforts and maximum cooperation extended to the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) by traditional leaders, local government officials, and community members. She also noted that the projects were carried out between March and May 2023.
She said, “Out of the 83 communities that benefited from the World Bank projects, 22 had suffered from cholera, intestinal parasites, and typhoid-related issues.”
“The 22 communities, which previously had no access to basic infrastructure for clean water in Akwanga LGA, had to walk 3-4 kilometers to collect water for domestic use, agriculture, and livestock. The long daily treks to collect water caused children to lose school hours,” she added.
She continued, “Drinking water contaminated by animal waste led to many suffering from waterborne ailments such as intestinal parasites, typhoid, and cholera. Poor sanitation and insect bites, along with the poor water quality, resulted in numerous hospital visits and even deaths, particularly among children. The lack of electricity made the community vulnerable to animal attacks, snakebites, and even robberies at night.”
She further explained that the construction of 17 solar-powered boreholes in 17 communities has provided 13,000 residents in Akwanga LGA with access to clean and safe drinking water, which has improved their health and livelihoods.
She added that the cases of cholera and gastrointestinal disorders have drastically reduced, hospital visits and school attendance have improved, and farmer-herder conflicts in the communities have decreased.
She emphasized that the installation of solar-powered streetlights has significantly reduced incidents of snakebites and robberies across the entire community, affirming that tensions between herders and farmers over drinking water have also been reduced to a bare minimum.
One of the beneficiaries, Rakiya Adamu, explained that for over twenty years, she could only produce one bag (50 measures) of cassava per day due to the long distance of the stream from her house. However, with the construction of the solar-powered boreholes, she now produces 8 bags (50 measures) per day, selling them for N100 per measure.
According to her, “My profit has increased eightfold, from N5,000 to N40,000 (~USD 3-24) per day, well above the national poverty line of N30,000 per day in rural Nigeria.”
“People come from Plateau, Kano, and Bauchi states on market days and buy up all my cassava, even asking for more due to the availability of clean water,” she added.
Another beneficiary, Aisha Ibrahim, a Fulani woman, said she has been able to sell her milk products (nono) for higher prices and has expanded into producing other popular drinks, such as Zobo (a hibiscus flower drink) and Kunu (a corn/millet drink).
She said, her daily profits have increased by N1,000 per person, helping them to become more self-reliant.
She explained that livestock contamination of the community’s sole source of water had exacerbated conflicts, leading herders to withdraw their children from community schools.
“Our animal health has improved. A Fulani cattle owner who previously spent around N3 million (~USD 1,800) on veterinary care for ailments contracted from drinking contaminated water from streams now spends only about N600,000 (~USD 360), saving N2.4 million (~USD 1,100).”
“The improved health of the cattle has also raised their selling price. A two-year-old cow that previously sold for 100,000-N150,000 (~USD 60-90) now sells for N300,000-350,000 (~USD 180-210) because they are healthier and fatter,” one of the beneficiaries added.
Dr. Napoleon Gyobe-Elias, the State Project Coordinator and leader of the State Project Management Unit (SPMU), urged beneficiaries to protect the projects from vandalism and ensure their maintenance at all times.
He disclosed that the intervention provides a scalable solution to similar challenges across the state and beyond, adding that the Nasarawa SPMU of ACReSAL plans to replicate this intervention in the remaining 12 local government areas of the state and in other ACReSAL states across Nigeria.
He said, “The provision of clean water has also boosted economic activities in Ungwan Makama, a community of more than 80 households. Almost every household now produces fried cassava (garri), a staple food in Nigeria.”
Our correspondent reports that local leaders, visibly pleased, have described 2024 as a conflict-free year, marking significant progress in fostering peace and stability in the area. As a result, herders have also reduced their previous practice of taking their cattle through farms to reach the drinking water stream.
