Yemisi Dada
Residents of Araromi Temidire and Itele Nla communities in Ikorodu North Council Development Area of Lagos now have access to hygienic and potable drinking water.
This is courtesy of a Non Governmental Organization, WaterAid Nigeria with the support of PepsiCo foundation under the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Improvement project.
At the handing over of the two Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, WASH, water treatment plant facilities to the Communities, representative of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Gbenga Oyedele, lauded the initiative and commended WaterAid Nigeria for supporting the government in providing basic amenities for those in rural areas.
Mr Oyedele implored the beneficiaries especially the community leaders and trained WASHCOM members to take ownership of the facilities and protect them from vandals for sustainability.
“Lagos is poised to ensuring clean and hygienic potable drinking water for residents, that is why the state government make available enabling environment for Sponsors, CSOs and international bodies to partner and support its quest for safe water, so we appreciate WaterAid and PepsiCo foundation for the gesture.”
Appreciating the gesture on behalf of the residents, Vice Chairman Ikorodu North LCDA, Mr Olawale Apanisile, expressed appreciation to the sponsors of the projects and assured that the facilities would be maintained, with a call on other NGOs to extend their Corporate Social Responsibilities to the hard to reach communities for the vulnerables in the society to enjoy dividends of democracy.
He said: “Out of all the Local Government Areas in Lagos State only two are selected to be beneficiaries of this laudable projects and we are lucky to be one of them and since that time, Ikorodu North LCDA has witnessed numerous projects that have been commissioned by WaterAid Nigeria for the benefit of our people.
“I am appealing to beneficiaries of these facilities to make its maintenance their priority so as to spur WaterAid and partners to do more for the development of Ikorodu North LCDA.”
CDC Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, Prince Niran Ogunbanwo, lauded WaterAid Nigeria for its intervention, saying: “I am very delighted seeing what has been put in place for us in Araromi Temidire and Itele nla communities.
“So, I am appealing to WASHCOM members to always notify us anytime they have any challenge so that we can work together in maintaining the facilities.”
“This project will no doubt provide clean and safe water for residents of these communities which will surely prevent further spread of water borne diseases earlier recorded before the intervention and arrival of WaterAid Nigeria in this vicinity.”
Earlier, the WASH Manager, WaterAid Nigeria, Mr Godfrey Iloha, who noted that access to safe, hygienic and potable drinking water is a fundamental human right, challenged the Lagos State government to replicate such gesture to other rural areas in line with the SDG goal 6, with the hope to reach over ten million residents with the initiative.”
We commenced with testing of water in the two communities before we started the project and the results shows the water are contaminated with bacterias with high acidity and low alkaline pH, so after construction we provided treatment plant for the water which made it the safest water in the communities and can be consumed directly, so we appeal to the Lagos State government to replicate this in other rural areas to be able to meet the needs of over ten million vulnerable people in Lagos.
Itele Nla community has six thousand liters tank, while Araromi with three thousand liters tank and the Water facilities were solar powered with treatment plants.
Discover more from Radio Nigeria Lagos
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
