Following a rich and interactive knowledge-sharing session in Abuja, the NIWIMNRO team journeyed to Kuchiko Camp community in Niger State to commission a solar-powered borehole—our first infrastructure project aimed at improving the lives of women in Nigeria’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
This project addresses a long-standing challenge faced by the ASM women miners in the community: access to clean and potable water. For years, the women of Kuchiko Camp, many of whom formed part of NIWIMNRO’s inaugural training cohort, have struggled with the health, environmental, and economic consequences of water scarcity.
The Miangwa, Samuel Hassan, Community Head of Kuchiko-Camp, thanked NIWIMNRO on behalf of the residents.
Stating that the borehole has resolved a long-standing issue
“Before now, we were drinking the same water we used for mining. But with this borehole, that is no longer the case. We are very happy and appreciate this gesture”.
In attendance were the NIWIMNRO team, representatives from our partners at Energynet, and the ASM mining operator for Niger State, a government delegate whose presence underscored the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in achieving lasting impact.
This borehole is only the first of many interventions NIWIMNRO plans to roll out in line with our mission to enhance the visibility, safety, and socio-economic well-being of Indigenous women in mining across Nigeria.