Atobaje community is a locality/political ward under Agege Lagos State. It is very close to Agege town.

The inhabitants of Atobaje are essentially Yorubas, with a scanty population of non-Yoruba-speaking people. The population of Atobaje is said to be over 700,000, almost half of which will benefit from the borehole project. The inhabitants are basically low-income earners.

There is a chronic water scarcity in the area. Water is being bought and carried over so many distances. The community members are not opportune to benefit from the government water scheme. It does become one of the regular daily chores for children and their mothers to buy or fetch water for the family’s use from near and far. The provision of a borehole for Atobaje by the Hope Spring Water Charity will to a very large extent alleviate the water scarcity/poverty in the community.

How it came out

The inspiration for the Atobaje borehole project came from a group within the community.

This group of people felt for the populace in the community, who are at the receiving end of poor water hygiene and scarcity in the area. Basically, women and young children

The said group, who wish to remain anonymous, promised to give a token amount of money and want Hope Spring to take up the responsibility or challenge of providing good water for the community. The token was paid twice.

Once Hope Spring received the funds, machinery was set in motion for the project.

There is a common base for Atobaje and Gbogunleri CDA; hence, it was not difficult to get the executives of the CDA.

On Tuesday, July 25th, 2023, the executive members of the CDA and Hope Spring Water representatives went with the team of expert drillers to map out the best location for the project.

A follow-up visit to conclude the work on location was done on Monday, July 31st, and the driller and plumber were given a start-up grant.

On Tuesday, August 1, the work commenced. The flow-back channel was dug.

Drilling proper was done between Wednesday, August 2nd, and Thursday, August 3rd. After the drilling, a treatment was applied to prevent the diffusion of oil into the borehole from the surrounding earth. This treatment was left for a week to solidify before pumping.

While waiting for the treatment to solidify, mounting of the tank, plumbing, and tilling work were going on simultaneously and were concluded before the plant was ready for connection.

Flushing for water cleanliness and clarity was done on August 10 and 14. The water was connected to the tank and service pipes on August 13. Finalising the project by mounting the signage on August 15th.

The sustainability of the project is anchored on three authorities: first, the central CDA, then the Atobaje CDA, and finally the school authority of a Muslim school whose fence is used for the fetching area. (The school with over hundred students will equally benefit immensely from the borehole.)

These authorities will see to the maintenance and continuity of the service that the borehole provides to the community, making sure that the facility is unconstitutionally accessible to all and sundry.