By Oyo Amebo
Can water truly change a state? In Oyo, the answer is unfolding before our eyes. For years, daily life in countless households revolved around uncertainty: would there be water today?
Mothers rose before dawn to queue at unreliable boreholes, children missed school while fetching water, and small businesses struggled under the weight of scarcity. Water, or the lack thereof, dictated the rhythm of existence.
Today, that narrative is being rewritten under the leadership of Honourable Adeojo, Commissioner for Water Resources. Where once pipes ran dry and boreholes lay abandoned, a new cadence emerges, one of reliability, opportunity, and progress.
Adeojo’s vision transcends simple repairs. To him, water is not merely a resource; it is a catalyst for empowerment, education, health, and economic vitality. Clean water, he understands, is the backbone of every facet of development, shaping daily life and laying the foundation for long-term prosperity.
Upon taking office, Adeojo inherited a fractured water sector. Urban pipelines leaked endlessly, rural communities depended on failing boreholes, and countless citizens relied on unsafe streams or shallow wells. Piecemeal fixes, he realised, would never suffice. What was required was a holistic, sustainable strategy.
His approach combined technology, governance, and community participation. Villagers now engage directly in the construction, maintenance, and management of water facilities, transforming beneficiaries into custodians.
Every borehole, mini-network, and water hub is no longer just infrastructure; it is a shared responsibility and a promise of continuity.
Urban systems have not been ignored. Ageing pipelines are being replaced with modern materials, treatment plants upgraded to meet higher standards, and smart monitoring systems detect leaks and pressure issues in real time. Waste is reduced, repairs are faster, and a proactive culture replaces the reactive patchwork of the past.
A flagship initiative, the “Community Water Hubs,” exemplifies this transformation. These hubs are far more than points of access; they are centres of empowerment. Staffed by trained locals, they offer education on hygiene, sanitation, and water conservation.
Women’s groups, children, and entrepreneurs not only learn to use water safely but also to harness it for productive ventures, small bakeries, vegetable farms, and other micro-enterprises now flourish with confidence.
Equity drives Adeojo’s mission. Detailed mapping identifies “water deserts,” directing investment to historically neglected communities. Subsidised tariffs and flexible payment schemes ensure that access is inclusive, reaching even the most vulnerable.
Beyond infrastructure, his policies embrace health and sustainability. Solar-powered boreholes provide clean water where electricity is unreliable, rainwater harvesting supplements supply, and hygiene education combats water-borne diseases.
Clinics, schools, and local volunteers teach safe water practices, forging a seamless link between access and wellbeing.
Crisis response has also been transformed. Emergency supplies are pre-positioned, rapid-deployment teams ready, ensuring that droughts or pipeline failures no longer leave communities helpless.
The results are tangible: farmers enjoy consistent irrigation and higher yields; schools witness improved attendance, especially among girls; entrepreneurs expand operations; healthcare costs related to water-borne illnesses are falling. Water has shifted from a daily struggle to a springboard for opportunity.
Culturally, a profound shift is underway. Communities now see water as a shared resource, a responsibility rather than an entitlement. Conservation, responsible use, and local stewardship are becoming ingrained habits, complementing technical upgrades and securing long-term sustainability.
Challenges remain urbanisation, climate change, and maintenance pressures, but Adeojo’s combination of foresight, expertise, and community engagement positions Oyo to face them head-on.
What emerges is nothing short of a revolution: pipes are lifelines, boreholes are beacons of hope, and water provision is a platform for development, simultaneously transforming health, education, and the economy.
Ultimately, Adeojo’s legacy is measured not merely in infrastructure but in lives reshaped. Mothers no longer spend hours fetching water, children attend school uninterrupted, entrepreneurs operate confidently, farmers irrigate reliably, and communities thrive.
In turning dry pipes into lifelines, Adeojo demonstrates that water governance, when executed with vision and empathy, is not merely engineering, it is the art of enabling life itself.
