Follow Us on Google
By Doris Obinna and Henry Uche
As part of its corporate social responsibilities (CSR), Nestle Nigeria has donated pipe-borne water, toilets and a generator to All Saints Anglican School, Owode, Ogun State, to promote their health and well-being.
Concerned by the emergency health challenge facing humanity at this critical time, the gesture was conceived as part of the company’s commitment to enhancing quality of life and building thriving communities closest to its operations, which would serve over 500, including educators, learners and families within the community.
Speaking at the event, Nestlé Nigeria’s corporate communications and public affairs manager, Victoria Uwadoka, said, “We recognize the fact that water and sanitation are essential to life and wellbeing. They are, therefore, at the core of improving livelihoods in any community. This is why Nestlé Nigeria has been at the forefront of actions to increase access to water and sanitation facilities in the communities closest to its operations, especially in the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) beneficiary schools.
“This project brings the total number of Nestlé’s community WASH facilities in Ogun State to 14. This is one more step towards attaining our objective of making access to water a reality in every school within the N4HK programme in support of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6), which is ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Uwadoka affirmed that Nestle would continue to work with its partners, especially the Ogun State Universal Education Board to increase availability, hence Nestlé for Healthier Kids was a school-based nutrition and health education program built on four pillars: Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Hydration, Physical Activity and Hygiene.
She stressed that “Hygiene” being one of the pillars of N4HK, could not be taught or practiced without basic water and sanitation facilities on site.
In a remarks, the board chairperson of Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Femi Majekodunmi, said: “It is gratifying to note that this worthwhile project, which is one of many embarked upon by Nestlé in continuation of the company’s commitment to ensure that all the 20 schools within the Nestlé for Healthier Kids programme, is provided with water and sanitation facilities to promote healthier lives among the children.”
Majekodunmi called on the patent-teacher association (PTA) as well as the school authorities to judiciously utilize the project and ensure that the facilities are secured and preserved for continuous use.
On his part, the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology of the state, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, represented by the deputy Zonal Education Officer for Obafemi Owode, Oluwatosin Sofoluwe, while commending Nestlé for partnering with the Ogun State Government on the provision of facilities for public schools, stated that children’s ability to learn can be affected by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene conditions.
Also speaking, the Program Manager, Ogun State Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Agency, Mr Sola Ogumbo commended Nestlé’s support and investments in building thriving communities, particularly in the WASH sector of the state. He stated that the gesture aligned with the commitment of the State Government in meeting the SDG goal 6- ensuring water and sanitation for all by 2030.
