UNILAG collaborates with development agency to address community water crisis

The Ilaje Water Security Project Research Team at the University of Lagos, working together with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Bariga LCDA, government authorities, and members of the Ilaje community, has made meaningful progress toward solving the area’s ongoing issues with access to clean drinking water.

At a stakeholders’ meeting hosted at the University of Lagos, participants explored environmentally friendly and sustainable ways to solve Ilaje’s water problems.

Dr Temitope Sogbanmu, an Environmental Toxicologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos, is heading the initiative, which seeks long-term answers to the water challenges faced by low- and middle-income neighborhoods.

Ilaje was selected to represent a typical Nigerian community due to its closeness to the university and the seriousness of its water crisis. The project, which is also running in India and South Africa, involved mapping the community and analyzing its water sources.

Results indicated that Ilaje has only three working water facilities provided by the government, which means residents must depend on natural sources. Unfortunately, these are salty and result in skin irritation and discomfort.

Community members trained to use rapid testing kits found no parasites, but they did discover dangerous microorganisms and chemical substances such as lead, arsenic, fluoride, and iron in certain borehole water samples.

Sogbanmu clarified that the goal was not to create short-term fixes like installing boreholes but to help the community understand the underlying problems with their water supply and jointly develop lasting solutions. “We wanted to open their eyes to the real issues and co-create with them sustainable ways to address the water challenges,” she said.

She gave assurance that follow-up steps would be taken with relevant government bodies, some of which shared contact details with community representatives at the gathering.

Bolaji Ogunlewe, who heads the Water Distribution Network at Lagos Water Corporation, called the project timely and promised to keep working toward a permanent solution to Ilaje’s water crisis.

“We are here to listen and take the feedback seriously. Work is ongoing on resolving the water issue in Ilaje, and we will see it through,” he said.

Babatunde Daniel, the chairman of the Ilaje community, commended the project’s teamwork and inclusivity. “We’ve had NGOs and agencies come around before, but this one is different. It taught us how to tell quality water from bad water, and we spoke directly to the people that matter,” he said.

Dr Olanike Buraimoh, an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the University of Lagos, stressed the need to concentrate on Ilaje because of its location near the university. “We cannot ignore the suffering of a community that is just next door. It was important to start with those closest to us,” she said.

University representatives, including Dr Olasunbo Olusanya, praised the project’s method, which integrated citizen science with direct involvement from the community.

“It allowed residents to voice their concerns directly to government agencies and encouraged genuine conversation,” Olusanya said.