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March 28, 2024

2 Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) schools get water, sanitation facilities

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By Vivian Ihechu

Nestlé Nigeria Plc has inaugurated two additional water and sanitation projects at Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta and St Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo in Obafemi Owode, both in Ogun State.

This provides  2,000 more people, including educators, learners, as well as individuals and families within the communities access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

The two schools are part of the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) schools, a school-based nutrition education programme promoting healthy nutrition, healthy hydration, good hygiene and active lifestyles.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria, Mr Wassim Elhusseini during the inauguration on Thursday said: “At Nestlé, we recognise that water is essential for livelihood and wellbeing.

“This is why we are focused on ensuring that everyone within our immediate communities has access to clean, potable water.

“This is also important in the N4HK schools because we cannot talk about hygiene without water and sanitation facilities.

“It is our hope that these facilities will greatly improve the teaching and learning environment in Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta and St Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo, Obafemi Owode,” he said.

In his address at the inauguration of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities at Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta in Ogun, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu said: “Indeed, no government can single-handedly underwrite the cost of sound and effective education service delivery to her citizenry.

“Hence,  the call of our education friendly Gov. Dapo Abiodun, to all corporate and individual stakeholders to team up with government by investing in education.

“Government is filled with gratitude to Nestle Nigeria Plc for the donation of water and sanitation projects for pupils and teachers of Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta and St Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo, Obafemi Owode under the N4HK programme,” he said.

“I am not in any doubt that this will add value to teaching and learning and will indeed accentuate healthy environment in the schools.

“I charge the direct beneficiaries of this facility to make the best use of this rare opportunity through constant maintenance of the facilities.

“Indeed, subsequent health report of our pupils must begin to reflect the significance of this monumental investment.”

(L – R) Representative of the Executive Chairman, Ogun State SUBEB, Hon. Olufemi-Ilori Oduntan, SA to the Ogun State Governor on Education; Mrs Ronke Soyombo, HRH Oba Kolawole Aremu Sowemimo, Olu of Owode-Egba, and Mr Shakiru Lawal, the Head of Human Resources at Nestle Nigeria PLC at the commissioning of a water project at St Paul’s Anglican  Primary School, Orile-Imo, Owode – Egba, Thursday, Feb.4, 2021. (NAN)
(L – R) Representative of the Executive Chairman, Ogun State SUBEB, Hon. Olufemi-Ilori Oduntan, SA to the Ogun State Governor on Education; Mrs Ronke Soyombo, HRH Oba Kolawole Aremu Sowemimo, Olu of Owode-Egba, and Mr Shakiru Lawal, the Head of Human Resources at Nestle Nigeria PLC at the commissioning of a water project at St Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Orile-Imo, Owode – Egba, Thursday, Feb.4, 2021. (NAN)

Also, at Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta, Ogun, the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives, Mr Ganiyu Oladunjoye said: “The Prince Dapo Abiodun administration has created an unprecedented enabling environment for industries in Ogun to thrive.

“This is so that they would be able to meet their social responsibilities of supporting their host communities through infrastructure development.

“This is evident in the various projects donated by Nestlé to her host communities. This gesture is commendable and highly appreciated by the government and people of Ogun,” he said.

Present at the commissioning of the water projects were community leaders from Oke-Ona and Orile-Imo, as well as invited guests and other stakeholders.

The administrators, educators and learners of both Oke-Ona United School and St Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo, expressed delight at finally having water and good toilet facilities within their schools.

Responding, Mrs Olubunmi Jimoh, Headteacher, St Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Orile-Imo, Owode – Egba, commended Nestle Nigeria Plc for the gesture and assured the company that they would utilise the project well.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the addition of these two new facilities, over 16,000 people living in the communities around Nestlé’s factories in Ogun and Abaji in the FCT, now have access to clean and safe water.

The company’s commitment to providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, supports the Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

An estimated 100 million Nigerians still lack basic sanitation facilities and 63 million do not have access to improved source of drinking-water. This is why consistent multi-stakeholder action is important to increase access. (NAN)

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