Tunbosun Ogundare – Lagos
As a way of boosting campaigns in Nigeria towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) that envisions equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and ending of public defecation by 2030, the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) has partnered the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) to take the crusade down to schools and vigorously campaign the need for students and their teachers and other school workers to key into the project.
To this end, the two bodies have instituted, among other initiatives, an annual competition, tagged: “WASH Essay Competition” among students of public schools in Lagos State.
Speaking at the commencement of the maiden edition of the competition in Lagos, the National Chairman of NIMechE, Mrs. Funmilade Akingbagbohun, said every practical aspect of life including economy, education, manufacturing, farming, tourism, recreation, energy and so forth need clean water to function and flourish but disheartening that many countries including Nigeria are confronted with scarcity of the commodity.
She said because of this condition, many communities particularly the low income ones usually resort to drinking contaminated water and using poor sanitary system day in and out.
She said such condition does not only make many people vulnerable to various water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and even death but also slow down the learning ability of school children.
She said that was why NIMechE as part of its corporate social interventions came up with WASH Essay Competition to expand the advocacy drive to schools to get young people involved
She said the expectation was that the competition would challenge the students to think creatively and formulate ideas and solutions towards deepening practical understanding of WASH and the means to achieve SDG 6.
According to her, the youth are a key stakeholder in building a sustainable sanitation ecosystem in every community.
“They are agile and can influence behaviourial change at the grassroots level and so getting them actively engage in the process of effective sanitation provision is a worthwhile venture,” she stressed.
She said the essay competition would be in three stages with the grand-finale stage taking place on March 22nd at an event to commemorate this year’s World Water Day in Lagos.
She added that the top three winners would be unveiled and also rewarded with various prizes that include laptop alongside some other participants and their schools at the event.
Speaking about why LSWC keys into the advocacy drive and particularly the WASH Essay Contest, the Managing DirectorCEO of the corporation, Mr. Muminu Adekunle Badmus said it is certain that no single actor or group can solve the problem associated with shortage of clean water and poor sanitation system all alone.
He said that was why all hands must be on deck to bring to the front burner the need to jointly fight and overcome water and sanitation crisis and also achieve the SDG 6 target in Nigeria.
According to him, water and sanitation sector is important like every other sector and students’ involvement in this regard including the promotion and sustenance of regular hand-washing in schools and at home and every other place would go a long way in achieving the goal.
Mumini, however, pointed out that although LSWC has not been able to provide steady safe water to all the people of the state, it is working towards achieving that in no distant time.
He asked the students to give deserve priority to their studies as a way to achieve their dreams and aspirations for life.
He wished those participating in the essay competition well, saying the competition would certainly boost their knowledge on issues around WASH project.
