WaterAid Nigeria Launches Lagos Peri-Urban Water Sanitation Improvement Project for Ikorodu LCDA; Targets 21,000 Beneficiaries in 3 Years

Yemisi Dada

The Lagos Peri-Urban water and Sanitation improvement project has been launched in Ikeja.

The Microsoft funded Sanitation project will be implemented by WaterAid Nigeria in four Community Development Associations in Ikorodu North LCDA to provide safe drinking water for residents.

At the launch and inception action plan meeting at Ikeja, the representative of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Folasade Adeyoju, commended WaterAid Nigeria for its numerous interventions in Lagos and expressed optimism that the project would improve access to sustainable, resilient and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene services for those at the rural areas of Ikorodu.

In an address of welcome, WaterAid Country Director, Ms Evelyn Mere who was represented by Dr Alao Adebayo, hinted that the project would focus on rehabilitation of non functional water and hand washing facilities, upgrade of sanitation facilities to be gender inclusive to address the needs of women and girls to promote menstrual hygiene.

“I want to congratulate Lagos State government and Ikorodu North LCDA who are the direct beneficiary of the project. WaterAid will continue to sustain its legacy of ensuring good hygiene behaviors at the grassroots to prevent infectious diseases and for every household to be WASH ambassador in their communities”.

WaterAid WASH Manager on Microsoft project, Mr Godfrey Iloha, promised to leverage on the ongoing clean family campaign in Lagos to promote and improve targeted hygiene behaviors in communities to improve health outcomes and curb the spread of infectious diseases.

“WaterAid cannot do it alone and that is why we partner Lagos State government so it can adopt the model and build on it as the sole body responsible for providing safe water for its residents. I advised they sustain the project after the implementation stage for maintenance of the project, while residents in Ikorodu North LCDA should take ownership of the facilities built as interventions in their communities and protect them against vandals”.

The Peri-Urban water and sanitation project targets to impact over twenty one thousand residents in Ikorodu North LCDA within the three years project plan.