By NDUKWE EDWARD
Relief swept through Akatapo community in Alayabiagba Town on Monday, September 29 as NASCON Allied Industries Plc, a subsidiary of the Dangote Group, commissioned a solar-powered borehole water project, bringing an end to years of struggle for access to clean drinking water.
The project, a 4,000-litre capacity water system powered by solar panels, was delivered following a community needs assessment exercise jointly conducted by NASCON and community representatives. According to the company, this participatory approach ensures that interventions address the most pressing needs of host communities.
Presenting the project, Princess Diseye Oba, Head of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) at NASCON, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.
“We don’t just wake up and decide what to give our host communities,” Oba said. “We consult widely through a community needs assessment. The outcome of that process was the request for potable water, which our management approved. This borehole is powered by solar energy to guarantee functionality, reduce health risks, and eliminate the high costs associated with petrol-powered generators.”
For many residents, the commissioning marked the end of a long period of hardship. Mrs. Aishat Hassan, who has lived in the community for five years, described the gesture as life-changing.
“It has been a big problem to access clean water here. Sometimes we spent up to ₦500 daily just to fetch water,” she said. “Now that burden is gone. Water is life, and Dangote and NASCON have given us life today.”
Community leaders echoed similar sentiments. Chief Lukman Ishola, a titled leader in Ojoraland who has lived in Akatapo for two decades, recounted the difficulties residents faced walking long distances in search of water.
“This project has relieved us of a great burden,” he said. “The community will now put structures in place to ensure proper management of this facility.”
The Chairman of Akatapo Community, Mr. Rafiu Ololapo, described the water project as a “dream come true,” while another leader, Mr. Solomon Opara, added that the initiative has achieved what successive governments failed to deliver.
“Dangote has done what our governments could not do despite our loyalty at the polls,” Opara said. “For this, our community will continue to pray for him and for NASCON.”
At the event, the Bale of Apapa and Alayabiagba Kingdom, HRM Y.O.A. Adeshina, commended NASCON for its consistency in providing empowerment, scholarships, employments, and now advanced water projects to host communities. He urged Akatapo residents to reciprocate by managing the facility responsibly and patronizing NASCON products.
Deputy Managing Director of NASCON, Mrs. Aderemi Saka, in her remarks, expressed gratitude for the community’s appreciation and called for their continued support. Representatives of the Ajeromi Local Government Chairman Hon Olamilekan Akindipe Ola, Daniel Sylva also pledged that the Council looks forward to collaborating with the company, noting that the project aligns with promises made by the council to expand access to water across all wards.
The commissioning, held on September 29, underscores NASCON’s alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
With the solar-powered system now in place, residents of Akatapo community look forward to a future free from the burden of unsafe water and the long treks that once defined their daily lives.
