The International Committee of the Red Cross and the African Development Bank have joined forces with the Borno State Government to strengthen water supply systems in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, through the launch of the city’s Urban Water Supply Masterplan.
The first high-level partnership roundtable on the project concluded on September 10, 2025, in Abuja, bringing together about 40 senior government officials, humanitarian organizations, international financial institutions, technical experts, and development partners. The meeting was co-convened by ICRC and AfDB, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Borno State government.
This was contained in a press statement signed by International Committee of the Red Cross which was obtained by our correspondent.
Secretary to Government of Borno State, Malam Bukar Tijani, who represented Governor Babagana Zulum, welcomed the project, describing it as “a timely intervention to address one of Maiduguri’s most pressing needs.”
Head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria, Doris El Doueihy, stressed the importance of linking humanitarian assistance with long-term resilience. “The humanitarian–development link is not just a concept; it is a lifeline. In today’s world of protracted crises, we must respond to urgent needs while investing in long-term resilience, to enhance the overall impact of humanitarian action and create conditions to prevent conflict and setbacks to development,” she said.
Since 2009, Maiduguri has been at the centre of conflict and displacement in northeast Nigeria. Its population, which more than doubled between 2006 and 2021, is projected to exceed 2.5 million by 2030. The city’s overstretched water system currently provides only partial coverage, forcing many households to depend on unsafe and costly boreholes.
The ICRC initiated the masterplan with the Borno State Ministry of Water Resources, leveraging its humanitarian mandate and technical expertise. The project was formally endorsed by the state government in May 2023. In recent years, the ICRC has supported the repair of boreholes and water systems across displacement camps, reaching over 150,000 residents in Maiduguri alone.
Dr Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, underlined the Bank’s commitment to fragile regions. “Water, resilience and peace are closely connected. Investing in water is central to the African Development Bank’s Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa,” he said.
He added that the AfDB, which has invested more than $805 million in Nigeria’s water and sanitation sector over the past decade, aims to help northern Nigeria move “from recurring humanitarian crises to a future of stability, resilience, and sustainable development.”
