By Jankay Kujabi
The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has launched a €3.2 million Urban Water Network Improvement Project (UWNIP) to address persistent water supply challenges in communities across the Greater Banjul Area.
The project, financed entirely by NAWEC, will improve and expand the urban water distribution network in Bundung, Tallinding, Abuko, Lamin Daranka and Jambur.
The intervention is expected to improve the reliability of water supply and expand access for residents in the targeted communities.
The project includes the design and installation of new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water mains, network tie-ins and fittings, as well as the replacement of the DN250 raw water transmission pipeline from Borehole C4 to the Jambur Mosque Intersection.
Overall, the project will deliver approximately 59.5 kilometres of water network improvements.
Bundung will receive the largest share of the works, covering 41 kilometres, while Lamin Daranka will account for 8.2 kilometres, Abuko 7.9 kilometres and Jambur 2.4 kilometres.
Residents of Bundung have welcomed the intervention, describing it as a potential solution to years of water shortages in the community.
Speaking in an interview, Bundung resident Yusupha Darboe said water shortages had been a longstanding challenge, forcing some residents to travel outside the community in search of water.
“Water in Bundung has been a challenge for many people for too long,” Darboe said.
He said some residents sometimes travelled as far as Nusrat in search of water, only to encounter further difficulties when taps were closed or supplies were interrupted.
Darboe expressed hope that the project would significantly ease the difficulties faced by residents.
He acknowledged that the intervention might not immediately resolve all water-related challenges but said it would provide much-needed relief and improve living conditions.
Speaking at the project event, National Assembly Member for Bundungka Kunda, Sulayman Jammeh, thanked NAWEC and residents of Bundung for their participation in what he described as an important milestone for the community.
Jammeh said the project followed years of advocacy and efforts to secure a reliable water supply for residents.
Bakary K. Singhateh, representing the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, said the project responded directly to concerns repeatedly raised over water shortages in Bundung and surrounding communities.
Singhateh said Jammeh had consistently raised the issue during the “Meet the People’s Tour” between 2023 and 2025, highlighting the difficulties residents faced in accessing reliable water supplies.
He said the concerns were taken up by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and that the UWNIP represented a practical response to calls for improved water infrastructure.
Singhateh commended NAWEC and other stakeholders for translating concerns raised by residents into concrete action.
The €3.2 million project is expected to strengthen the resilience of the urban water network and improve the reliability and sustainability of water services in the targeted communities.
Residents are now awaiting the completion of the works and the expected improvement in water supply.