WaterAid Nigeria in partnership with Oregun Junior High School has unveiled the newly constructed/rehabilitated Water Sanitation and Hygiene facility (WASH).
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Ms Evelyn Mere, said WaterAid Nigeria was elated at the attainment of the milestone.
Mere said the project was constructed under the Improving Access to Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Project in Lagos State with the support from Cummins.
According to her, the three-year project aims to reach 176,547 people in Ikorodu North, Onigbongbo, Orile-Agege and Mushin Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) with WASH services.
She listed other benefits to include, water supply services to 6,500 people, sanitation services for 4, 547 people and hygiene services for 165,500 people at selected schools and communities.
She described the unveiling and handover of these facilities as a major milestone.
Mere said it demonstrated the commitment of WaterAid and its partner, Cummins to achieving the goals of the project.
“The facilities to be inaugurated consists of a rehabilitated 12,000-litre solar-powered motorised borehole, a newly constructed inclusive and female-friendly toilet, two new group handwashing stations and fully rehabilitated toilets for staff and students.
“The female-friendly toilet will ensure that no girl misses another day in school during their periods as they can now manage it with dignity, pride and privacy,” Mere said.
She said the provision of these life-transforming services would improve learning and school attendance due to access to clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene.
“For members of staff, it will provide an atmosphere conducive for effective learning and teaching to take place for the nurturing of future leaders,” Mere said.
She expressed appreciation to Cummins for its commitment to fund interventions that bring about transformative change in underserved communities.
“We appeal to the school authority, Oregun community and Onigbongbo LGA to sustain the facilities.
“We sincerely appreciate the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Tutor General for Education District six, for granting us access to the school.
“We thank the principal, management and staff of the school for being receptive to our intervention,” Mere said.
She called on the state government to invest in the replication of the project in schools across the state to make education a pleasant experience for children in public schools.
The Managing Director of Cummins, Mr Mark Oni-Okeke, said the project marks a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to creating more prosperous communities in Nigeria through clean, safe, and sustainable WASH facilities.
Oni-Okeke said a key piece of Cummins’ overall sustainability efforts, Cummins Water Works is the community-focused extension of Cummins’ PLANET-2050 initiative.
He described the initiative as a metrics-based sustainability strategy focusing on its operations, products, customers, and supply chain.
“Water is the great uniter; it impacts all aspects of our business and communities.
“Strong communities cannot exist without sustainable water,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to the dedication of Cummins and WaterAid staff and the school management to the success of the project.
He urged the school management to ensure that the facilities are readily accessible to the students.
The Chairman, Onogbongbo LCDA, Mrs Olufunke Hassan, expressed gratitude to WaterAid and Cummins for the project.
Hassan noted that the government alone cannot provide the needs of the people, hence the participation of the private sector.
Earlier, the Principal of the school, Mrs Ajimuda Adeshola, expressed appreciation to WaterAid Nigeria and Cummins for the project.