MAKURDI 鈥 The 2025 Retail Operations Group (ROG ) of Access Bank, Makurdi, Benue State, has donated a motorised solar-powered borehole to the community of Welfare Quarters Extention, Genabe, in Makurdi as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS).
The Bank explained that it had to come up with the project in view of the pains people in local communities go through to source water, particularly during the dry season, adding that the project was the group鈥檚 way of alleviating the water challenge faced by residents of the community.
While advising the community to secure and protect the project against any act of vandalism, the Bank stressed that it was aware of what some people go through when it comes to getting portable water because of the importance of water to human survival.
Speaking at the commissioning of the project, the Zonal Head, Retail Operations of the Bank, North Central 2, Olayinka Olawepo, who described the intervention as unique, said 鈥淲e know what some people go through when it comes to getting portable water because of the importance of water to human survival.
鈥淲e also discovered that some boreholes dry up at the peak of the dry season, that is why we decided to drill and construct this solar-powered borehole that would be able to service the entire community without drying up. That is why we have sited it here.
鈥淥ur demand from the community is that they ensure security for the project because it will serve the community for a every long time.
鈥淪o we are pleading that the community own the facility and protect it such that it would not be vandalised because if it vandalised the purpose of putting it up in the first place would not be served.
鈥淎nd on our part, what we will be doing, going forward is that we will be coming here often to check if the facility is working or not. We will be happy anytime we come around to see that our people are still enjoying and getting portable water from the borehole.鈥
Olawepo added that borehole was donated to the Welfare quarters community by the Retail Operations Group, through resources it put together to ensure that the project becomes a reality.
Appreciating the Bank for remembering the community, the Kindred Head of Kanshio, Zaki Stephen Nongun, thanked the Bank for siting the water project in his domain.
According to him, 鈥淲e are so happy and grateful to Access Bank for intervening in our community with this project. I was aware when they started building this project here and I was shocked beyond words.
鈥淪ome communities are crying everyday to have this kind of project, but here they gave us not just a borehole but a motorised borehole. So we thank God for using you to impact our people by ending water scarcity in our community.鈥
On his part, the Village Head of Awaaku, Baba Augustine Ufa, noted that the water project would impact the lives of the people, particularly, 鈥渙ur women and girls who usually go around in search of water during the dry season. We are also appealing that the intervention be extended to other communities鈥, he pleaded.
An elder in the community, Peter Tortiv, who also thanked the Bank, said the project which was the first of its kind in the area would also help check the outbreak of waterborne diseases, as the people of the community now have access to portable water.
Also, a member of the community, Aber Ede recounted the sufferings people with large families face at the peak of the dry season explaining that 鈥渟ometimes people will not have water to bath because all the wells will dry up. But with this project in our community, that era is gone for good. That is why we cannot thank Access Bank enough for this all important intervention.
鈥淚t is a laudable project that has given some of us every reasons to bank with a commercial bank that cares for our community鈥, he said.
Spokesperson for the youth in the area, Ushahemba Ubele, recalled that the search for water in the community had on some occasions exposed girls and women in the community to danger emphasizing that the project marked the end of those challenging times.
On her part, Felicia Adaga who commended the bank for the initiative, hoped that the intervention would be sustained.
Also, present at the commissioning were the Head of Operations, North Bank Branch, Seun Adeleke, Client Service Manager, New Bridge Road, James Adedeji, Head of Operations, High Level Branch, Samuel Adedara, Client Service Manager, High-level Branch, Olotu Idakwo, the Relationship Manager, Commercial Banking Division, Benue, Fanan Ndur among others.