Push for Sustainable Community-owned Water System in Lagos – THISDAYLIVE

For years, residents of Isiwu and Eginrin Ekun in Lagos battled unsafe water and waterborne diseases. Now, Project SWIFT is delivering clean water through a community-owned model that promotes sustainability, accountability, local participation, and long-term management of critical WASH infrastructure. Sunday Ehigiator writes

For years, many residents of Isiwu and Eginrin Ekun communities in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area of Lagos State endured severe water shortages, relying on unsafe sources and travelling long distances daily in search of clean water.

Women and children bore the heaviest burden. Families relied on contaminated streams and poorly managed sources that exposed them to waterborne diseases, economic hardship, and social vulnerability.

But today, those communities are witnessing a transformation, thanks to Optimal Greening Foundation’s effort, as driven by Project SWIFT, the Sustainable Water Initiative for Future Transformation, which is an intervention designed to provide not just clean water infrastructure, but a long-term model for community ownership and sustainability.

According to the project document as provided by the organisation, it revealed that, “At Optimal Greening, our work has always been guided by the belief that people in underserved communities deserve the same dignity, health, and opportunity that access to clean water and proper sanitation provides.”

The initiative, commissioned on April 25, 2026, by Optimal Greening Foundation, represents a growing shift in how Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects are being implemented in Nigeria.

While many water projects focus mainly on infrastructure delivery, Project SWIFT was intentionally designed around sustainability and community participation.

The foundation noted that the project was “a continuation of our commitment to environmental sustainability and a step forward in how we design, deliver, and sustain WASH solutions for communities that have long been left behind.”

The project combines industrial boreholes, solar-powered water treatment systems, and smart dispensing technologies to improve efficiency and reduce waste. But beyond the technology, the most important feature of SWIFT lies in its governance structure. “What makes SWIFT especially meaningful is our approach to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), which goes beyond infrastructure to anchor sustainability in community development.” 

The foundation explained further that the project was “intentionally designed to strengthen community ownership, with emphasis on capacity building to improve WASH service delivery and create systems that last long after the ribbons are cut at the commissioning ceremony.”

The Harsh Reality before SWIFT

Before the intervention, the realities in Isiwu and Eginrin Ekun reflected a broader WASH crisis affecting many underserved communities across Nigeria.

Optimal Greening revealed that its needs assessment showed “over 88 per cent of residents relied on unsafe water sources, placing families at serious risk of waterborne diseases and daily hardship.

“This need reflects the harsh reality that women and children have endured for years, with consequences on their health, productivity, education, income, dignity, and hope,” the foundation added.

In many rural communities, children often miss school because of long hours spent fetching water, while women lose valuable economic opportunities performing unpaid domestic labour tied to water collection. SWIFT seeks to reverse that pattern by bringing safe water closer to households.

Surviving a Major Funding Setback

One of the defining moments in the project’s journey came after a major disruption in funding.

Originally funded by USAID through the Lagos Urban Water Sanitation and Hygiene (LUWASH) Activity, Project SWIFT was designed as an 18-month initiative expected to end in December 2025.

However, the withdrawal of USAID support in early 2025 forced the project into a six-month pause. For many organisations, such a disruption could have marked the end of the intervention. But Optimal Greening decided otherwise.

“While many organisations facing the same shock chose to close their doors, Optimal Greening chose a different path,” the document stated. “We reaffirmed our commitment to the communities and worked to secure the funding required to get SWIFT back on track.” That determination eventually attracted new support. The Grundfos Foundation became the primary sponsor through its Community Engagement Grant, while the Vitol Foundation provided secondary support.   Technical partners, including Hydrogenesis, Nextworks, and Naston Engineering, also contributed to implementation efforts.

Delivering Water, Restoring Dignity

Today, the impact of the project is already visible across the two communities. According to the foundation, “Project SWIFT delivers at least 30,000 litres of potable water daily, serving over 9,000 direct and 13,000 indirect beneficiaries.”

More than 2,000 households now have improved access to clean water. For many residents, this means an end to the exhausting search for water that once consumed large portions of daily life.

“SWIFT relieves the daily hardship of residents who previously spent time, money, and energy seeking water that should be available close to home,” the document stated.

The intervention is also expected to improve public health outcomes significantly. “Both Isiwu and Eginrin Ekun communities are better positioned to reduce waterborne diseases and increase productivity.”

The benefits extend beyond health alone. “Women and children, who often bear the heaviest burden of water scarcity, stand to gain socially and economically,” the foundation added.

Empowering Communities Through Leadership

A major component of SWIFT is its emphasis on community leadership and accountability.

Over 100 members of Community Development Associations, WASH Committees, and Facility Management Teams participated in training sessions focused on governance, financial management, asset maintenance, and accountability.

The project also prioritised gender inclusion, ensuring women play active roles in leadership and decision-making.

“Our approach prioritises gender inclusion with a 40% female representation to ensure women’s voices are included in leadership and decision making.”

According to Optimal Greening, true sustainability can only happen when communities themselves become custodians of the infrastructure. “At Optimal Greening, we firmly believe that WASH projects can only truly succeed when communities are equipped and empowered to take responsibility.”

The foundation explained that lessons from its earlier Agala pilot project helped shape the expanded SWIFT model.

“With SWIFT, we have taken those lessons further by deepening the governance structure, strengthening sustainability systems, and scaling the model to serve new and larger communities with greater efficiency and long-term planning.”

Sustainability Drive

Despite the success recorded so far, the organisation insists that the greatest challenge in WASH projects is not installation, but sustainability.

“However, the greatest challenge in WASH is not in deploying the infrastructure but sustaining it,” the document stated.

This is why the organisation continues to advocate stronger collaboration between communities and government institutions.

“For WASH projects like SWIFT to remain functional, the government must continue to play a vital role in oversight, policy support, and technical assistance to ensure long-term sustainability,” it added.

The foundation believes community groups alone cannot carry the entire burden of sustaining infrastructure without continuous institutional backing.

“When communities are supported to manage what has been provided, the benefits in public health and social development multiply,” the foundation noted.

 For the Optimal Greening Foundation, Project SWIFT represents more than a completed intervention.

“Project SWIFT is proof that a local model, built carefully and tested in a remote island community, can be scaled up to serve others with greater confidence.”

The foundation added: “For us at Optimal Greening, SWIFT is not just a project completed, but a model strengthened.

“With continued government support, we hope to protect public investment, strengthen communities, and move closer to a future where safe water and dignity are not privileges, but rights for all.”