The Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, Ms Evelyn Mere, says the Akilo Waterworks when fully rehabilitated will deliver potable water to 100,000 residents within Ifako-Agege, a suburb of Lagos.
Mere said this at the contract signing for the rehabilitation of Akilo Waterworks at the Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
She said the transformative effect of the project on household income and social wellbeing to be derived from the intervention would be unquantifiable.
The project is facilitated by WaterAid Nigeria in collaboration with the LWC with the support of Armani Beauty.
The country director said the project had been long in coming.
She described the collaborative efforts and resilience of WaterAid and the LWC in achieving the milestone as a testament to possibilities that could be achieved through partnerships.
“From the technical assessment, through intense reviews of the product of assessment, to the finalisation of the procurement process, WaterAid Nigeria mainstreamed its key approach of systems strengthening, encouraging government leadership and commitment.
“Without this, it is impossible to achieve long- term sustainability of Akilo water scheme.
“For us Water, Sanitation and Hygiene are human rights and essential basic services that serve as a foundation for reducing the spread of infectious diseases and promoting human dignity,” Mere said.
She noted that the huge burden of lack of access to safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services impacts heavily on health.
“It may interest you to know that, about 90 per cent of deaths caused by diarrheal diseases are linked to unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene.
“This is why in our current strategy, WaterAid is making a strategic shift to interventions that serve large groups of people. Hence, this contract signing and award event is enabling us to achieve this strategic objective.
“We commend Armani Beauty for prioritising water access in their Corporate Social Responsibility commitments, and a huge thanks to the International Programme Director for her support, without which it would have been impossible to get here,” Mere said.
She expressed appreciation to the government of Lagos State and the LCDA’s for being receptive and open to the partnership.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Lagos Water Corporation, Mr. Muktaar Tijani, commended WaterAid for the partnership.
Tijani reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for the contractor to deliver quality work within the designated time frame.
Goodwill messages were sent by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, the Lagos State Water Regulatory Agency and the Lagos State Waste Management Office.
The project is scheduled for completion within six months.
By Fabian Ekeruche and Olaitan Idris