Ekpoma: The Society for Family Health (SFH) has inaugurated a motorised borehole in the Ikekogbe community, located within Ekpoma in the Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State. This development marks an end to the prolonged water scarcity and frequent exposure to waterborne diseases that residents have endured for years.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the borehole was delivered under SFH’s WASH for Healthy Lives project, with financial backing from Procter and Gamble. The initiative aims to ensure that residents have consistent access to clean and safe water. During the inauguration, Mr. Blessing Ebhodagha, Chairman of the Esan West Local Government Council, highlighted the project’s significance in improving public health and living conditions for the community.
Mr. Ebhodagha noted that the community had long depended on unsafe water sources, which led to diseases such as typhoid and cholera. He emphasized the importance of community ownership and maintenance of the borehole to prevent disease
outbreaks related to unclean water.
Pharm. Jane Adizue, Director of SFH’s WASH for Healthy Lives, explained that the borehole component was introduced after realizing that awareness alone was insufficient to sustain hygiene practices. Represented by Mr. Nnamdi Anosike, the project coordinator, she affirmed that the project, initiated in 2022, has been implemented in phases, with Edo as a primary focus.
Mr. Bamidele Segun from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation stated that the intervention would mitigate waterborne diseases and bolster socio-economic activities. Mr. Murtala Okhakumhe, General Manager of the Edo State Small Town and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (STRUWASSA), pointed out that the project aligns with the goal of achieving universal access to potable water.
Dr. Ehis Oniyama of the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency emphasized the critical role of access to clean water in disease prevention and community health. Mr. Sunday Iyare, a community represent
ative, expressed relief over the new borehole and committed to safeguarding the facility, while also calling for security measures to prevent vandalism and the expansion of similar projects to other communities in need.