FIDELIS ADIGWE: From Building a Water Well in IDP CAMP Wassa to Fighting for Clean Water Nationwide

By Tosin Clegg

In 2015, while serving his NYSC year in Abuja, Fidelis Adigwe visited the IDP camp in Wassa and saw something that broke his heart: thousands of people living without clean water. Using his skills as a water expert and feeling a personal duty to help, he took it upon himself to build a water borehole with a hand pump for the camp.
This good deed earned him a national honors award and made him a strong voice for clean water access in Nigeria and beyond.

Adigwe was one of the few youth corps members honored in his batch for making a real difference during his national service. But his story goes far beyond just getting an award for the lives he changed.
“When I saw how people were living in Wassa camp, I couldn’t just walk away,” Adigwe said. “I knew what needed to be done. As a hydrogeologist, this was something I could fix, and I had to act.”

That borehole gives clean water to the people living in the camp, helping them stay healthy, avoid water diseases, and live with more dignity. Adigwe paid for the project himself and completed it despite many challenges. His work has become an example of how young Nigerians can make a real difference during their national youth service.
“The water crisis we face in Nigeria isn’t because we don’t know what to do,” he said. “It’s because we haven’t made it a top priority. Clean water isn’t something that should be available only to some people. It’s something everyone deserves.”
Since his NYSC days, Adigwe has advised various organizations in Nigeria, leading more than 500 water projects and working with environmental agencies to follow proper regulations. At Just Fix It Synergy Ltd. and Royal Unicorn Deep Drill Ltd., he led teams of experts to design and build lasting water projects for both villages and city communities.

His journey from building one water well in Wassa to becoming a respected geologist shows what young people can achieve when they combine knowledge with commitment. Adigwe now speaks up for better government policies and more investment in mapping underground water sources and regulating boreholes.

He believes every young Nigerian can make a difference. “You don’t need to be rich to change things. Sometimes all you need is what you know and the willingness to act,” he said.