In its drive towards ensuring availability of potable water services to the people at the grassroots, WaterAid Nigeria through the financial backing of PepsiCo Foundation has provided residents of Araromi and Itele-Nla communities in Ikorodu North LCDA in Lagos with solar-powered water facilities as part of its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Project.
Godfrey Iloha, WASH Manager, in his remarks during the project commissioning and handing over ceremony on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, noted that WaterAid has the resources with the support of the government to saturate the entire Ikorodu North LCDA communities and beyond with clean water sanitation and hygiene to ensure that as many as 10 million people are reached through the intervention programme currently ongoing.
Besides the project’s 6,000-litre capacity for Itele-Nla and 3,000-litre capacity for Araromi communities, which is being powered by solar energy, Iloha noted that the projects also come wirh treatment component.
In his words: “Interestingly, as we are drilling we also conduct water quality test and in all the tests we have carried out before the facilities were installed, most of them came with bacteriological contamination and acidity low pH, so it is important that for us to give clean water to the communities, it is important that we install the treatment facilities to ensure that the water is safe for drinking.”
He charged the government to prioritise WASH in all nooks and cranies of the state in ensuring that people at the grassroots are not left out.
“There are so many communities yearning for this type of facilities, so government needs to scale this type of project up in all communities around the state to ensure that by 2030 the SDG Goal of adequate water supply is achieved,” he maintained.
In his submission, Prince Niran Ogunbanwo, WASHCOM Coordinator and Chairman CDC, commended WaterAid Nigeria and PepsiCo Foundation for the project.
“Surely, WASHCOM and CDC are very happy to receive these facilities. What the facilitators are doing within our domain here is very wonderful and as you can see everyone around the eighty-seven communities are happy for witnessing this project commissioning.
“The most interesting part of it is that the water is drinkable which is quite different from what most residents have in our homes. We know more is still in the pipeline so we thank WaterAid for this intervention project.”
Amin Olawale Ibrahim, Vice Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, disclosed that “in terms of clean water service delivery, this is one of the best projects we have around our vicinity here because for a community battling with electricity supply, but this one is solar-powered with other facilities that ensure the water coming out of here is safe for drinking because of the water treatment. So our people can drink this water without entertaining any fear of water borne diseases. It is safe for drinking.”
The Vice Chairman, who spoke on behalf of Adeola Adebisi Banjo, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, however charged the residents to make good use of the facilities and ensure proper maintainance to ensure sustainability of the project.
Oyedele James, representing Mahmud Adegbite, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources of Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, noted that the assessment of the project is okay because several tests were run on the output from the facilities and they all met the standards set by the government.
According to him, “water from this facilities has specific alkaline and alkaline water is good for the body system unlike some water which has negative impact on the body system, so the beneficiaries of these facilities should maintain the project for their good.”
Highpoint of the event was signing of an MoU between Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA and the benefitting communities as well as handing over of two sets of WASH Maintenence Kits to the two WASH Management Committees.
The event witnessed dignatories such as Nìyà Odugbesi, Secretary tó Local Government, Ikorodu North LCDA; Adijat Adebola Salako, WASHCOM Chairman of Araromi Community; Chief Adebola Kazeem, Baale of Araromi Community; Henry Adenigba, Executive Director, Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED); Ogomide Peter Fatoye, Chairman, Temidire CDA; and Pastor Tunde Ige, Chairman of Ashiwaju/Itele-Nla/Igbaloye CDA, among others.
By Ajibola Adedoye
