Benue State Borehole Expansion

Project Overview

Building on the success of Phase 1 in Kebbi State, this expansion brings clean water to three more communities in Benue State, reaching an additional 3,000 beneficiaries. Each site was surveyed before drilling began. Placement determines whether a borehole yields reliably through the dry season, and a well sunk in the wrong place is a wasted investment no matter how well it is drilled. Once drilled, the wellhead and apron were constructed to keep surface run-off out of the supply, and water quality was tested before any handover took place. Every site was handed over to a trained community water committee. This is the part that decides whether a borehole is still working in five years: across the sector, wells far more often fail because a pump breaks and nobody is responsible for fixing it than because the drilling was poor. Each committee is trained in routine maintenance and minor repairs and organises a small maintenance fund, so a fault is resolved locally in days rather than waiting on an outside visit. The effect of a working water point close to home reaches past drinking water. Hours previously spent walking to collect water are returned to households, and disproportionately to the women and girls who did that walking, which is why school attendance is one of the clearest signals that a borehole is working. This project sits within our Borehole & Water Access initiative. Spending is published in our public donation ledger.

Milestones

Project Updates