Self Help Africa (SHA), an Irish development charity, is leading the implementation of two innovative pilot projects designed to improve access to safe drinking water in rural Nigerian communities, in partnership with the Federal Government.
The initiatives—Dispensers for Sustainable Rural Water in Nigeria (DiSuRWIN) and Optimising the Benefits of Inline Chlorination in Nigeria (OPTIC)—were officially launched at a National Stakeholders’ Inception Workshop in Abuja, bringing together government agencies, development partners, civil society groups and private sector actors to align on implementation strategies.
Speaking at the workshop, Mr Dorgu Ebiye, Development Consultant and State Coordinator for Self Help Africa, said the projects reflect SHA’s commitment to practical, community-based solutions that address water contamination at the point of use.
“These interventions are designed to ensure that rural households not only have access to water, but to water that is safe for consumption,” Ebiye said. “Our focus is on prevention—reducing exposure to waterborne diseases through consistent and effective disinfection.”
Under the DiSuRWIN project, SHA will deploy 550 chlorine dispensers across Garin Malam and Danbatta Local Government Areas of Kano State, with each LGA receiving about 275 units.
The dispensers are calibrated to deliver a chlorine concentration of 1,100 grains per cent, using a standard 10 per cent chlorine formulation to meet approved water treatment standards.
According to Ebiye, the first phase of the project is expected to reach approximately 110,000 people, significantly improving the safety of drinking water at community level.
Beyond infrastructure, he noted that SHA is implementing a self-sustaining operational model, which includes professionalised maintenance services for dispensers and water facilities.
Community health extension workers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Primary Health Care Development Agency, will handle chlorine refilling, dosing, monitoring and reporting.
“We are also investing heavily in capacity building,” Ebiye added.
“Local mechanics and community health workers are being trained, while Rural Water Supply Agencies and health institutions are engaged to ensure scalability and long-term sustainability.”
The second initiative, OPTIC, is being rolled out in selected communities in Kano and Cross River states, where SHA is testing inline chlorination systems integrated directly into handpumps and piped water schemes.
The goal is to assess the effectiveness of automated chlorination technologies across different rural water supply contexts.
The projects align with Nigeria’s National Framework for Drinking Water Safety and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NIS 554:2015), and complement ongoing government efforts to reduce cholera outbreaks and other waterborne diseases.
With an 18-month implementation period and a budget of about 721,995 dollars for DiSuRWIN alone, Self Help Africa says the pilots are intended to generate evidence that can inform nationwide scale-up of proven water safety solutions.
“Our approach is built on partnership, local ownership and evidence,” Ebiye said. “By working closely with government and communities, we aim to deliver lasting improvements in rural water safety across Nigeria.”
