By Lucy Daniel
When history is written about this season of governance in Akwa Ibom State, the decision by Governor Umo Eno to partner with the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) to provide functional water boreholes in all 369 wards will stand out as one of the most people-centred and economically strategic interventions of our time.
At the second anniversary of GIFA in Uyo, the Governor did more than make a promise. He issued a directive to the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Akwa Ibom State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (AKRUWATSAN) to immediately begin modalities that would ensure every ward has a GIFA Water Project within one year. That is not mere rhetoric; it is governance meeting compassion, policy aligning with purpose.
This initiative fits squarely into the broader development philosophy of Governor Umo Eno and his ARISE Agenda, an agenda deliberately designed to prioritize rural development, inclusive growth, and shared prosperity.
Water is life, but beyond that, water is wealth.
In rural communities, access to clean water determines productivity, health, education, and economic stability. When women and children trek long distances daily in search of water, hours that could be invested in farming, small-scale businesses, education, and skill acquisition are lost. Time is money, and in rural economies, time is survival.
By placing functional boreholes in all 369 wards, the government is essentially injecting economic stimulus into the grassroots. Farmers can irrigate small plots. Food processors can operate more efficiently. Hairdressers, tailors, food vendors, and other small-scale entrepreneurs will have reliable access to water, a critical input in many micro-enterprises.
Healthcare costs will also decline. Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery often thrive where clean water is scarce. By improving water access, the state reduces medical expenditure for families and lowers pressure on public health facilities. Healthy citizens are more productive citizens.
This is how rural economies are strengthened, not just through grand industrial projects, but through foundational infrastructure that touches everyday life.
Perhaps the most profound impact of this project will be felt by women.
Across rural Akwa Ibom, women bear the primary responsibility for sourcing water for their households. In many communities, it is women and young girls who wake before dawn to fetch water from streams and unsafe sources. This routine exposes them to physical stress, health risks, and sometimes insecurity.
By ensuring that every ward has a reliable borehole, Governor Umo Eno and GIFA are effectively restoring dignity to rural women. Time saved from water collection can now be channeled into income-generating ventures, education, political participation, and community leadership.
This intervention aligns with the original vision of GIFA, founded by Pastor Patience Umo Eno, whose passion for women, children, the elderly, and the vulnerable was unmistakable. Under the coordination of Noble Lady Helen Obareki, the initiative continues to champion projects that uplift women not as dependents, but as drivers of development.
Water access, therefore, is not just infrastructure, it is empowerment.
Public health begins with prevention. Safe drinking water is one of the most effective preventive healthcare measures any government can provide.
The establishment of GIFA Water Projects in all 369 wards will drastically reduce reliance on contaminated streams and shallow wells. Cleaner water means fewer infections, lower maternal mortality linked to water-related illnesses, and safer environments for children.
From Itu to Ikot Abasi, from Oron to Ikot Ekpene, this initiative has the capacity to transform sanitary conditions in rural and peri-urban communities. It will enhance environmental hygiene, support sanitation programs, and strengthen community resilience against disease outbreaks.
For a state determined to pursue sustainable development, this is foundational.
The ARISE Agenda is not an abstract slogan. It is a governance blueprint centered on Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructure, Security, and Economic Expansion.
For rural dwellers, ARISE means roads that connect farms to markets. It means support for small older farmers. It means health centres that function. It means security that protects livelihoods. And now, it means water in every ward.
Over the next five years, if faithfully implemented, this vision could reposition rural Akwa Ibom as a hub of agricultural productivity, cottage industries, and thriving community enterprises. Rural-urban migration could reduce as villages become more livable and economically viable.
This is how balanced development is achieved, by lifting the grassroots rather than concentrating progress only in urban centres.
Governor Umo Eno’s reassurance that Akwa Ibom’s 76 oil wells remain secure under two valid Supreme Court judgments underscores another critical element: economic stability.
By affirming the sanctity of these judgments and emphasizing adherence to the rule of law, the Governor has sent a message of confidence to investors and citizens alike. Stable resource ownership translates to stable revenue. Stable revenue makes projects like the 369-ward water initiative financially sustainable.
Peace, unity, and respect for judicial decisions create the environment in which development can thrive.
In a country where rural communities are often left behind, the decision to prioritize water access at ward level is both visionary and practical. It demonstrates that development is not measured only by skyscrapers and megaprojects, but by the number of homes that can turn on a tap and drink safely.
Eno’s partnership with GIFA is a reminder that governance and compassion are not mutually exclusive. When policy is guided by empathy and structured through a clear agenda like ARISE, transformation becomes attainable.
For rural Akwa Ibom, this is more than a water project. It is a declaration that no ward will be forgotten. It is a promise that development will not bypass the villages. It is an investment in women, in health, in productivity, and in the next generation.
And if sustained, it could redefine the fortunes of 369 communities, one borehole at a time.
