The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has handed over the expanded Buni Gari water supply facilities to the Yobe State Government to improve access to potable water.
The project extends water supply from Buni Gari to Buni Yadi and surrounding communities in Gujba Local Government Area, which suffered extensive infrastructure damage during the insurgency.
The Yobe NEDC Coordinator, Prof. Ali Abbas, said the intervention aligns with the commission’s mandate to support post-conflict recovery and development in the North-East.
Abbas said the project, earlier inaugurated by Governor Mai Mala Buni, has now been fully completed and is ready for operational management by relevant state agencies.
He explained that the expansion includes four boreholes equipped with 10HP submersible pumps and an integrated solar hybrid system comprising 30 units of 300-watt panels.
Other components include a 200,000-litre surface tank, a 100,000-litre overhead tank, a 50-KVA transformer, and connection to the national grid through a step-down transformer.
He added that the project also features a booster station, administrative block, security room, perimeter fencing, and a gatehouse.
According to him, extensive pipeline reticulation using 200mm, 150mm, 100mm, 75mm, and 50mm pipes was carried out to improve water distribution.
Abbas said an additional 6.01-kilometre pipeline network was constructed within Buni Yadi and its environs based on community requests.
“Today, we are formally handing over these facilities to the Yobe State Water Corporation and the Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Agency for sustainable management,” he said.
He reaffirmed NEDC’s commitment to restoring critical infrastructure and improving livelihoods in conflict-affected communities across the region.
In a related intervention, Abbas said the commission supplied submersible pumps and accessories to support rapid repairs of faulty boreholes across the state.
He listed the items to include pumps of various capacities, solar submersible pumps, flat cables, and API and UPVC riser pipes.
He explained that the intervention followed assessments in more than 100 communities which revealed widespread breakdown of water facilities requiring urgent attention.
The General Manager of the Yobe State Water Corporation, Ba’Abba Habu, received the project on behalf of the state government.
Habu described the intervention as significant, noting that it would greatly improve water supply in Buni Yadi and neighbouring communities.
He assured that the state would ensure proper maintenance and sustainability of the facilities for the benefit of residents.
Some residents of Buni Yadi expressed optimism that the project would reduce water scarcity, curb waterborne diseases, and ease the burden on women and children.
