On 25th February, 2026, a group of pupils at LEA Primary School in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, lined up in a row beside a newly constructed water tap project. It was a fateful Wednesday morning around 10:30 a.m, a break time for the pupils. The sunlight was still lethargic when the sweltering sun smiled brightly to stainless steel basins, as the children washed their hands before returning to class after taking their meal.
A year ago, there was no water that run from those taps.
Evidently, for more than 300 pupils enrolled in the school, many from low-income households, access to water, especially clean ones, was a distant hope. Toilets were largely unusable due to the absence of a running water channel. Some pupils relied on external vendors to source drinkable water.
While hygiene lessons were taught in theory, practical experience became lacking, as enforcement of handwashing protocols was nearly impossible in the absence of a reliable water supply.
Although stands at the heart of Nigeria’s FCT, the school infrastructure tells a different story. Internal plumbing had failed. Sanitation facilities had deteriorated.
For female pupils, especially those who had begun menstruating, the lack of functional toilets carried deeper implications which ranged from discomfort, embarrassment, and sometimes absence from school.
A Starking Data
The case of LEA Primary School represented the crisis of larger communities in Nigeria where access to Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) has become a distant hope.
A 2021 report by UNICEF showed that 73 per cent of diarrhoeal and enteric disease burden in Nigeria was caused by poor access to adequate WASH.
UNICEF’s report added that only 26.5 per cent of the population accessed improving drinking water sources and sanitation facilities, with the need for improved service in rural sanitation taking up 64.1 per cent.
The effect of lack of access to safe water is damning, especially among children. A 2022 report by UNICEF showed that poor access to improved water and sanitation in Nigeria remained a major factor that drives high morbidity and mortality rates among children under five.
Only 26.5 percent of the country’s population accessed improving drinking water sources and sanitation facilities, with the need for improved service in rural sanitation taking up to 64.1 percent.
The above damning data is a sharp contrast to SDG 6, one of the important objectives of the global goals of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, focused on clean water and sanitation for all.
A Visit that Change the Narrative
The turning point came in January 2025 when a group of change–makers, The Adeola Adeyemi Foundation (TAAF), extended an outreach to the school.
A visitation primarily focused on hygiene sensitization later turned the tide, breathing life to the school’s long-term hope.
The volunteers arrived at the school unperturbed with a bag full of ambition, aimed to educate the school–age children about healthy habits. Instead, they confronted a contradictory stark reality.
“There was no water,” Adeola Adeyemi, the founder of the foundation recalled during the commissioning ceremony in February 2026.
The foundation initially donated temporary bucket tap systems, a modest intervention that highlighted a much bigger need. Shortly after, the school authorities formally notified the organization of the full extent of the water and sanitation deficiencies.
Then the organisation implemented a solar–powered borehole project and renovation of deteriorating toilets within the school, themed, “Promoting Access to Clean Water and Safe Sanitation in School.”
The intervention went beyond drilling a borehole, construction of a 10-metre galvanized steel tower fitted with three 5,000-litre storage tanks, with a total capacity of 15,000 litres.
A solar-powered pumping system was installed to eliminate dependence on unstable electricity supply. Also, a compact water treatment system was integrated to ensure safety. The water channels now directly feed renovated toilet blocks, and outdoor taps across the school compound.
Thirty-two toilets were stripped and rebuilt. Damaged fixtures were removed. Floors and walls were re-tiled. New water closets were installed, with additional indoor wash basins.
Drinking fountains were added. Cleaning supplies for one year were provided. The changes are beyond visible. The impact is functional.
Before and After
Before the intervention reached the school, toilets were often avoided because absence of water made flushing impossible. Handwashing compliance was poorly executed, not out of negligence, but due to necessity deficiency.
Today, the intervention is a common sight: teachers report improved hygiene habits among pupils, the school feeding programme operates under cleaner conditions, pupils no longer leave the premises to fetch water.
For the female students, the shift is particularly significant. Reliable water and private sanitation facilities have restored a measure of dignity, while reducing the vulnerability associated with inadequate menstrual hygiene management — a factor driving growing absenteeism in Nigerian public schools.
While comprehensive health data is yet to be published, the structural risk factors for waterborne disease have been directly addressed.
Speakers Solicit Proper Maintenance
One appeal dominated conversation during the commissioning ceremony, speakers repeatedly emphasized on sustainability of the projects.
Students were urged to protect the facilities. Staff were encouraged to enforce maintenance routines. A local responsibility framework was introduced to prevent the cycle of neglect that continues to frustrate many public infrastructure projects in the country.
Speaking during the ceremony, the founder of the organisation, Adeola Adeyemi, disclosed that it was exactly one year and one day when TAAF’s team visited the school for a personal hygiene outreach but met different narrations.
“You cannot teach hygiene where there is no water. You cannot promote sanitation without access,” Mrs Adeola asserted.
Access to clean water and safe sanitation should never be a privilege, he continued, stating that such facilities are fundamental necessities.
Adeola further argued that in an environment where children struggle daily with inadequate water supply and poor sanitation facilities, such gaps affect attendance, learning outcomes, hygiene, and overall well-being. “Commissioning is not completion, sustainability is our priority,” she concluded with a pause.
From her part, Amb. Gloria Ugwunze, the representative of the ECOWAS Peace Fund, who was in attendance during the commissioning, said the project goes beyond mere infrastructures.
She described the intervention as an investment in human dignity, health, and a bold move towards enabling a conducive learning environment.
“I urge all students to treat this project as their own, when water is used, lock it up. When the toilet is used, flush it properly and keep it clean. Doing that, you are preserving and maintaining the resources.”
Other dignitaries present included representatives of the LEA AMAC and the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
Also in attendance was lady Florence Wenegieme, the Acting Chairman of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board. Representing the Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding was Mr. Patrick Adeleye.