UNICEF, KADRUWASSA Move to Revive 395 Boreholes, Train Local Mechanics to Sustain Rural Water Supply
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KADRUWASSA) have launched a major initiative to restore hundreds of non-functional boreholes and strengthen local capacity to sustain safe water services across Kaduna State.
The initiative, which brings together 177 Local Area Mechanics (LAMs) and Water Supply Officers from 22 local government areas, aims to improve the operation and maintenance of rural water facilities while reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of KADRUWASSA, the agency’s Director of Water Supply, Joel Yanet, said the training was prompted by the need to safeguard investments made under the Sanitation, Hygiene and Water in Nigeria II (SHAWN II) Programme, through which more than 2,000 water facilities were constructed across Kaduna State between 2016 and 2021.
He revealed that the state currently has over 2,000 non-functional hand pump boreholes, underscoring the urgent need to train local technicians capable of carrying out complex repairs and keeping water facilities operational.
“As part of the practical sessions, participants will rehabilitate 10 solar-powered boreholes and 10 hand pump boreholes in Chikun Local Government Area,” Yanet said.
He further disclosed that UNICEF will support the rehabilitation of 395 additional boreholes after the training, while KADRUWASSA has submitted a proposal to the Kaduna State Government for wider rehabilitation of rural water infrastructure.
Yanet also said Kaduna State currently records about 65–66 per cent access to safe water, adding that the government’s long-term goal is to achieve universal access through ongoing investments, including the state’s Solar Water Programme.
According to him, improving access to safe water will not only expand water coverage but also significantly reduce cases of waterborne diseases in rural communities.
Speaking at the workshop, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, Theresa Pama, said the programme focuses on ensuring that water facilities remain functional long after they are constructed.
She said UNICEF is strengthening the capacity of Local Area Mechanics because sustainable maintenance is essential to preventing communities from returning to unsafe water sources.
“When boreholes break down and are not repaired, communities often resort to ponds and rivers, exposing themselves to contaminated water. By training Local Area Mechanics, we are ensuring that these facilities remain operational and communities continue to have access to safe drinking water,” she said.
Pama stressed that the intervention is also central to UNICEF’s mission of protecting children, noting that contaminated water disproportionately affects children, who are more vulnerable to diarrhoeal diseases and other water-related illnesses.
The workshop, organised by KADRUWASSA with support from UNICEF, is expected to strengthen technical capacity across participating local governments, rehabilitate 20 water facilities during the training, and develop implementation plans to accelerate progress toward Kaduna State’s water access targets.
