By Effiom Emmanuel 

The Rotaract Club, University of Ibadan, has installed water purification filters in selected undergraduate halls of residence to improve students’ access to safe drinking water.

The exercise, carried out on Saturday, May 30, 2026, formed part of activities marking the club’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Month.

 

The initiative focused on cleaning water storage tanks and installing water filtration systems in selected halls of residence.

Speaking with IndyPress, the Project Director for WASH Month, Afenkhena Leah, explained the inspiration behind the project, drawing from her personal experience as a student resident.

“When I was a freshman about two years ago living in Awo Hall, I was very sensitive to water, so I only drank packaged water. However, I noticed that my friends and those around me drank water directly from the hostel supply, and many of them didn’t understand why I wouldn’t,” she said.

She stated that the initiative was conceived to address concerns about water quality and encourage healthier drinking habits among students.

She recalled that one of her friends frequently suffered stomach-related illnesses, an experience that heightened her concerns.

“One day, I was hungry and joined them to drink gari. Later that day, I became seriously ill and had to be taken to Jaja Clinic. When I tried to trace the cause, I realized the gari had been prepared with regular hostel water,” she said.

According to her, the experience highlighted the health risks associated with consuming untreated water.

“We want to promote safer habits such as filtering or boiling water to eliminate microorganisms. Many students store water in large containers for extended periods without realizing that sediment, odour, and microbial build-up can affect water quality. I wanted to do something small that would have a meaningful impact on people’s health,” she added.

She also noted that the filtration systems were installed in Mellanby Hall, Tedder Hall, Bello Hall, Great Independence Hall, Zik Hall, and Awo Hall while hostels like Queen’s Hall and Idia Hall were excluded.

“We started with Mellanby, Tedder, Bello, Indy, Zik, and Awo. Queens and Idia were not included because we were informed that they already have filters. And since we wanted to maximize the impact of our resources, we focused on hostels that did not yet have them,” she explained.

Leah also disclosed that the project was implemented in partnership with the Rotary Club of Ring Road and forms part of the club’s broader community service efforts.

“We partnered with the Rotary Club of Ring Road for this project. Our activities are usually organised around monthly themes. For example, during child care and education month, we may visit schools to donate educational materials. We simply try to give back to society in meaningful ways,” she said.

The Rotaract Club is a humanitarian society. which forms part of a much larger body called Rotary International.

Editor’s Note: Rotary Club was corrected to Rotaract club