Blue Lagos begins a solar borehole project in Yegunda, Epe, to improve access to safe drinking water in Lagos’ underserved riverine communities

Blue Lagos Sustainability Initiative on Monday, August 17, 2026, commenced construction of a solar-powered borehole in Yegunda Riverine Community, Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, as part of a broader intervention to improve access to safe drinking water in underserved coastal and riverine settlements.

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The project followed a call by the organisation for nominations from communities facing urgent water challenges. Blue Lagos received requests from 10 riverine and coastal communities across Lagos before beginning a verification exercise to assess their needs.

Yegunda was the first community visited during the assessment, which also built on Blue Lagos’ recently completed enumeration and baseline survey covering 134 hard-to-reach riverine and coastal communities across the state.

The survey provided data intended to help the organisation identify communities requiring urgent intervention and develop targeted programmes around water, health, livelihoods, environmental protection and social development.

During the visit to Yegunda, the Blue Lagos team found that residents had limited access to safe and adequate sources of drinking water. The situation prompted the organisation to approve the immediate construction of a solar-powered borehole for the community.

Speaking during the visit, Blue Lagos Sustainability Initiative Team Lead, Adesanya Saheed Olayinka, said access to clean water should be regarded as a basic necessity rather than a privilege.

“The situation we encountered in Yegunda was deeply concerning. Access to clean water is a fundamental human need and should not be a privilege,” Olayinka said.

He added that the organisation decided to act immediately after assessing the condition of the community’s existing water source.

“After witnessing the condition of the existing water source, we resolved to immediately commence the construction of a solar-powered borehole that will serve the community for many years,” he said.

The project represents the first phase of the organisation’s wider intervention programme. Further verification visits are expected to take place in the other nominated communities.

Olayinka also acknowledged the support of Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Blue Economy and Patron of Blue Lagos Sustainability Initiative.

He described Emmanuel as a major supporter of the organisation since its inception and credited his backing with helping Blue Lagos extend its grassroots interventions to underserved communities.

“We are particularly grateful to our Patron, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, for his continuous guidance, encouragement, and generous support towards the vision of Blue Lagos,” Olayinka said.

According to him, Emmanuel’s support for the Blue Economy agenda and community-focused development has helped create opportunities for interventions in riverine and coastal settlements.

The Yegunda project comes as access to potable water remains an important development concern for communities that are difficult to reach by conventional infrastructure.

By using solar power, the initiative is also designed to provide a more sustainable means of operating the borehole in a community where reliable infrastructure can be challenging.

Blue Lagos said it would continue assessing the needs of the remaining nominated communities before determining appropriate interventions.

The organisation said its wider programme would cover areas including water access, healthcare, livelihoods, environmental sustainability and social development.

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With its slogan, “No Community is Left Behind”, Blue Lagos Sustainability Initiative said its long-term objective is to promote inclusive development and improve living conditions in Lagos’ riverine and coastal communities.