Relief flows in Kaduna: residents hail new toilets, solar boreholes in schools, clinics
By Hussaina Yakubu
May 12, 2025
Residents across Kaduna State’s three senatorial zones are celebrating the state government’s ongoing efforts to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene through the construction of modern toilet facilities and solar-powered boreholes.
The intervention, executed under the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, is being implemented in health clinics and schools across six pilot local government areas: Jama’a, Jaba, Chikun, Igabi, Sabon Gari, and Soba.
The facilities are expected to benefit over 30,000 people, eneficiaries who spoke in an interview described the projects as life changing.
Head teachers and clinic officials expressed joy over the siting of the facilities in their institutions, saying they have brought relief and improved hygiene standards.
Victoria Ayuba, Head Teacher of Nasarawa Primary School in Chikun LGA; Malam Suleiman Zakariya of LEA Primary School, Wanka, Soba LGA; and Salome Michael of LEA Primary School, Kwoi, Jaba LGA, noted that the modern toilets have drastically reduced open defecation among pupils.
They also observed improved hygiene habits, such as hand washing, which has positively impacted the children’s health and school performance.
They commended Governor Uba Sani’s administration for prioritizing sanitation, adding that the clean environment is boosting both staff and pupil morale.
Similarly, village heads in communities where solar-powered boreholes were installed hailed the initiative. Alhaji Lawan Abdullahi of Yelwa (Soba LGA), Abel Achi of Nasarawa Kaduna, and the Village Head of Kwakwaren Manu in Sabon Gari all described the water project as a huge relief.
“Before now, access to clean water was a daily struggle, but the new boreholes have changed everything,” one village head said. Although installed within schools and clinics, the boreholes are also serving the wider communities.
The community leaders also expressed gratitude for the new toilet facilities in health clinics, noting that women now have decent places to relieve themselves—unlike in the past when they had to rely on nearby homes.
Engineer Esau Ambinjah, the Kaduna State SURWASH Program Coordinator, explained that the initiative aims to ensure easy access to clean water, and improved sanitation and hygiene services across institutions in the state.
He said the SURWASH programme is part of a $700 million World Bank intervention for Nigeria, with only seven states—including Kaduna—selected to benefit based on competitive applications.
“The facilities are not just infrastructure—they are life-saving services that will transform public health outcomes,” Ambinjah said.