Residents of Kuchiko-Camp, an informal mining community in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, have received a major relief as the Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation (NIWIMNRO) commissioned a borehole to provide clean drinking water.
For years, the women of Kuchiko-Camp, who form the backbone of the local economy, have faced severe water challenges.
The same water used to wash mined minerals was also used for cooking, drinking, and other domestic needs, exposing them to serious health risks.
The situation came to the attention of NIWIMNRO during a capacity-building session with women miners in Abuja.
After an interactive session, the women disclosed the extent of their daily struggles, particularly their desperate need for clean water.
Team lead of NIWIMNRO Felicia Dairo, said the organisation visited Kuchiko-Camp after the Abuja training and saw the water condition firsthand.
According to her, the situation was pathetic and required urgent attention. She explained that the intervention aligns with the organisation’s focus on championing gender inclusion, sustainability, and growth in Nigeria’s mining sector, especially among rural and indigenous women miners.
“We came together as an organisation and pooled resources to support these women, to ease their stress and improve their lives. Today, by drilling this borehole, we have brought life to this community because water is life,” Dairo said.
She added that NIWIMNRO, though barely one year old, is committed to working with informal women miners who are often unaware of their rights and operate without legal or health protections.
The organisation’s goal is to empower these women, help them formalise their activities, and ensure they benefit from the mining sector in a sustainable and responsible way.
The intervention was made possible through collaboration with government officials, particularly from the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Assistant Director in the Niger State Ministry of Soil and Mineral Development, Halima Ibrahim said the ministry worked with NIWIMNRO to identify the community and engage with its members to determine their most urgent needs.
“When the women were asked what they needed most, their first request was water. We worked together to get the community’s consent and identify the right location for the borehole. Today, that need has been met,” Ibrahim said.
She noted that the ministry has been providing support to informal miners, especially women, by helping them form cooperatives and educating them on safer mining practices.
According to her, government efforts to formalise the sector are ongoing, as informal mining remains a major part of Nigeria’s mining activities, accounting for over 90 percent of the sector’s operations.
The event also attracted support from EnergyNet, a London-based organisation involved in promoting energy and infrastructure development in Africa.
Portfolio manager at EnergyNet, Abdoulaye Sylla said the company is supporting NIWIMNRO’s initiative because of its alignment with sustainable development goals and its focus on empowering women.
“We understand the challenges women in mining face, and we are here to support efforts that educate and empower them while promoting sustainability,” Sylla said.
The community head of Kuchiko-Camp, Samuel Hassan, expressed gratitude on behalf of the residents.
He said the intervention has solved a long-standing problem in the community.
“Before now, we were drinking the same water we used for mining. But with this borehole, that is no longer the case. We are very happy and appreciate this gesture,” he said.
Hassan also acknowledged the positive impact of the group’s sensitization, which has encouraged more children, especially girls, to attend school rather than engage in mining from an early age.
For the people of Kuchiko-Camp, the borehole project marks a new chapter. NIWIMNRO believes this is just the beginning of a broader movement to empower women in Nigeria’s mining sector, transform communities, and set a model for inclusive rural development.
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