Participants at the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Lagos have lamented an ongoing water shortage reportedly linked to inconsistent electricity supply, compelling many residents to wake up at unusual hours each day to look for water.
A survey by the News Agency of Nigeria at the camp showed that insufficient water storage facilities and unstable electricity had continued to negatively impact the welfare and living conditions of corps members.
Several corps members told NAN that they now rise as early as 1:00 a.m. to line up at working taps before the start of daily camp activities. Miss Annabel, a corps member posted from Anambra State, described the experience as tiring and stressful.
“Sometimes we wake up at midnight just to fetch water. If you delay, you may not get enough water to bath before the morning parade.
“After drills and activities under the sun, everybody needs water, but the supply is usually insufficient,” she said.
Another corps member, Ibrahim, said the scarcity had compelled many residents to manage water carefully for basic household needs.
“Some people skip washing their clothes for days just to save water,” he said.
A female corps member, who identified herself simply as Mary, said many camp residents frequently climb long stairways with buckets and kegs while searching for water.
“Even when water is pumped, it finishes quickly because the storage facilities cannot serve everybody adequately.
“The water usually stops running by 3:00 a.m., so everybody struggles to fetch before then,” she said.
Mary also claimed that the rush for water recently led to an accident involving a female corps member.
“One corps member fell while carrying water and sustained injuries during the rush,” she said.
Some corps members observed that the available water tanks were no longer sufficient for the increasing number of camp residents.
“The tanks are simply not enough for storage, as we don’t even get water on the 3rd floor. We have to go to the 2nd floor.
“The existing tanks can no longer adequately serve the growing population in camp,” a corps member said.
NAN findings indicated that overcrowding, poor storage infrastructure and inconsistent electricity supply were key factors worsening the situation.
Another corps member said she had turned to buying sachet water for bathing to avoid the stress of fetching water.
“I don’t like stress, so I buy bags of sachet water for bathing on most days,” she said.
Some food vendors operating within the camp also voiced concerns, saying the shortage had raised their operating expenses. One vendor, who requested anonymity, said erratic electricity supply had disrupted access to water needed for cooking and cleaning.
“The cost of sourcing water is affecting our business because we depend on water for cooking and washing,” the vendor said.
However, some corps members praised camp officials for efforts to reduce the impact of the situation through water rationing and additional supply arrangements.
When contacted, the Head of Information and Public Relations Unit, NYSC Lagos, Mrs Omolola Aladesoun, told NAN that authorities were aware of the issue, which she said occurred briefly due to a power outage.
“We had a slight water shortage due to power failure, but everything has been resolved.
“We also have a standby generator used to pump water,” she said.
