A civic technology advocacy group, MonITNG, has issued a passionate appeal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Senator Ireti Kingibe, urging them to include Tugan Bijimi, a forgotten community in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, in ongoing water infrastructure plans.
For over 30 years, residents of Tugan Bijimi in Kawu Ward have lived without access to clean water. Their only source—a polluted stream shared with livestock—has left them battling waterborne diseases and daily dangers.
“This is not just a health crisis, it’s a matter of dignity,” said MonITNG in a statement shared on Thursday “Women and children bear the brunt of this neglect. A single borehole could transform their lives.”
The group revealed that residents of the community fetch, bathe, and wash with water from the same stream where Fulani herders’ cattle graze upstream—contaminating it with animal waste. Even the local health center relies on this unsafe water, worsening the public health situation.
One resident, MonITNG reported, narrowly escaped death after being bitten by a snake while heading to the stream in the early morning to collect water. “Every day is a risk,” the group noted. “Children suffer the most, and young girls struggle to maintain menstrual hygiene with no clean water available.”
Despite repeated promises from previous administrations to construct a borehole, the community remains abandoned.
While applauding Minister Wike’s recent trip to China aimed at strengthening partnerships for water provision in FCT satellite towns, MonITNG stressed that action must start with communities like Tugan Bijimi.
“As the ₦50 billion water infrastructure initiative takes shape, we call on @GovWike and Senator @IretiKingibe to ensure Tugan Bijimi is not left behind,” the statement continued. “They’ve waited long enough.”
