President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a 198-kilometre water pipeline network serving Bwari and surrounding communities in the Federal Capital Territory, promising that similar projects would fully cover Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji area councils before the end of his administration.
The President, who was represented at Tuesday’s inauguration by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, declared that access to clean water was a fundamental right and not a luxury.
The project connects Bwari township, Ushafa and neighbouring communities directly to treated water from the Lower Usuma Dam, ending years of dependence on untreated boreholes and streams.
Details of the inauguration were contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, titled, “We Are Laying A Solid Foundation For A Prosperous, Resilient And Inclusive Nigeria — PBAT.”
Tinubu recalled that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, presented the master plan for the water interventions to him and drew attention to the conditions facing residents of the affected communities.
“I looked at the files and saw that for years, our people in Bwari, Ushafa and surrounding communities relied on untreated boreholes and streams for their water supply,” the President said.
“This was unacceptable to me. Water is life. Clean water is dignity. It is a fundamental right, not a luxury.”
Tinubu said he directed the FCT minister to mobilise the required expertise and ensure the project was completed.
“I told him: go out there, mobilise the best, and fix it. And today, we are commissioning this state-of-the-art 198-kilometre water pipeline network. That is how we work. We do not make excuses; we deliver results,” he said.
The President said the intervention went beyond the construction of pipelines, describing it as an investment in public health, human dignity and economic development.
According to him, connecting Bwari and its environs to treated water from the Lower Usuma Dam would reduce residents’ exposure to waterborne diseases and end the repeated expense of drilling individual boreholes.
“This project is more than just laying pipes and turning on taps,” he said.
“By linking Bwari township and its environs directly to the major treated water source at the Lower Usuma Dam, we are ending waterborne diseases and the constant, expensive digging of individual boreholes.”
Tinubu disclosed that more than 1,600 direct and indirect jobs were created for young people during the construction of the project.
“I am told that this project alone has generated over 1,600 direct and indirect jobs for our youths, opening up new economic pathways right here in this area council,” he said.
The President assured residents of other parts of the FCT that the administration’s water infrastructure programme would be extended to their communities.
“I assure you, by the grace of Almighty God, before the end of our tenure, water projects will fully cover Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji,” he said.
The promise forms part of the administration’s broader plan to expand access to potable water and other essential infrastructure across the six area councils of the FCT.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady used the inauguration as an opportunity to pray for peace, prosperity and national renewal.
Quoting from 2 Kings 2:19–21, she said: “Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.”
She added, “Our nation shall be peaceful, blessed and fruitful, in Jesus’ name.”
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the water pipeline network was the 50th project inaugurated in the territory since the present administration took office in 2023.
He also disclosed that at least 10 additional completed projects would be inaugurated before January 2027.
Wike attributed the pace of infrastructure delivery in the FCT to the support provided by the President.
“I have been governor, now a minister. If you do not have that support, it would be difficult for you to perform,” he said.
“We will continue to do everything possible so that the people of Abuja are happy.”
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and the Managing Director of China Geo-Engineering Corporation, Zhong Xiang, whose company handled the project, also commended the President for prioritising people-centred infrastructure.
The Bwari water project was inaugurated against the backdrop of continuing challenges in access to safe drinking water across Nigeria.
According to UNICEF, about 60 million Nigerians—nearly one in three people—lack access to safe water, with rural and peri-urban communities among the most severely affected.
The lack of safe water has also contributed to the prevalence of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea, which remain major public-health concerns, particularly among children.
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