The Blue Community Network is proud to welcome a new partner from Africa. The Nigerian organisation Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), also known as Rural Community Empowerment Initiative (RUCEI), has been designated a Blue Community.
In their commitment to the Blue Community, CODAF writes: The poor state of Nigeria’s public water system is an immediate concern. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources is underfunded, and attempts to bridge this gap through international borrowing have largely failed due to government failures stemming from weak regulatory frameworks and mismanaged funds. This has resulted in repeated attempts at water privatisation, which prioritise profits over public access, leaving vulnerable communities without affordable water and leading to health crises. In Lagos, for example, a city surrounded by water yet plagued by shortages, the bottled water industry is worth billions of Naira. Local communities’ attempts to provide a self-funded water supply by sinking multiple boreholes make them vulnerable to contaminated groundwater, particularly during flooding. This ultimately depletes underground water reserves and may result in long-term water scarcity. CODAF believes that, by forming a network of like-minded communities such as the Blue Community, we can address these long-standing issues.
CODAF is prioritising community engagement with community mini-water schemes and the establishment of solar panel boreholes, as these are more sustainable and do not impact underground water reserves. This will improve the access to clean, safe drinking water and reduce public dependency on bottled water.
Oniovo Oghenenyerovwo Raphael, CODAF’s Project Officer for Water and Waste Management, states:
«The Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), also known as the Rural Community Empowerment Initiative (RUCEI), is joining the Blue Community because we believe that access to water is a human right. We believe that, by partnering with the Blue Community, we will be able to change public and government perceptions of water as a basic human right.»
Rev. Kolade Fadahunsi, coordinator of the Blue Community Chapter Africa, welcomes CODAF in the network:
«At a time when concerted advocacy from stakeholders is essential, CODAF is welcomed as a Blue Community. With their commitment to Water Justice, CODAF is well-placed to join others in the quest to turn Africa Blue!
As CODAF joins the prestigious list of Blue organisations in our community, much is expected of them in terms of achieving citizens’ rights to water as a shared essential resource.»
