Nestle Building Communities Through Provision Of Life-Enhancing Amenities
Commissioning of Water Project in Agbara, Ogun State
By EDET UDOH
Nestle has continued to be at the forefront of ensuring the prosperity and well-being of the people especially those within and around their factory sites. This, they do, through the provision of life-enhancing amenities such as water, hospital facilities, renovation of schools and hospitals, boreholes and overhead water tanks in schools, hospitals and community centres, provision of scholarships for deserving youths as well as empowerment training for women.
In order to ensure the availability of water and conserve same for future generations, Nestle attaches a high commitment to responsible water resource management because, to them, as a manufacturing company, they rely on water throughout their supply chains and operations and therefore recognize their role in helping to ensure access to safe water and sanitation in communities near their operational bases across the globe even as they vowed to continue to invest in responsible water stewardship in their factories.
Nestlé’s approach to sustainable water management is in line with the globally recognized Water Stewardship framework – ‘the AWS standard’ ensuring water-related best practices in all its operations with a commitment to certify all its water sites to the AWS standard.
The Company’s Agbara site attained this status in 2021 while Abaji factory will be certified this year. In a practical demonstration of its commitment to the well-being of the people and the growth of its operational communities, the firm has embarked on various enviable community development projects including boreholes, provision of overhead water tanks, renovation of classroom blocks, and provision of water and sanitation facilities.
Some of the life-changing community projects carried out by the company include amongst others provision of water sanitation facilities at two schools at Oke-Onna United School, Abeokuta and Saint Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo in Obafemi Owode, both in Ogun State; provision of water sanitation for school in Agbara; renovated and fully equipped block of three classrooms in School 1, Agbara, Ogun State; renovation of a community health centre in Sagamu, Ogun State; built and donated multiple community development projects including solar-powered water borehole at Manderigi and Agbaji Communities in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as well as provision of a water facility for All Saints Primary School, Owode, Ogun State. All these were done in the last two years.
They also involved in the provision of health facilities for the people of its host communities and their neighbours. Over the past three years, Nestlé Nigeria has delivered projects aimed at providing clean and safe drinking water as well as wash facilities for individuals, families and communities where the company operates. In this period about 15 wash projects have been donated in Ogun State and Abaji within the FCT.
In 2021 alone, the company commissioned four water and sanitation facilities in schools around her operations, reaching over 1,600 learners and educators.
Nestlé, in April 2021, commissioned additional water and sanitation project at Salvation Army School 2, Edu, Agbara in Ogun state to provide access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation for over 1,000 more people including educators, learners and families within the community.
In October 2021, Nestlé Nigeria renovates community health center in Sagamu, Ogun State. Primary health care is a grassroot approach towards universal and equitable healthcare for all. In Nigeria, some primary health care centers often lack the capacity to provide essential healthcare services, due to challenges like inadequate equipment, poor infrastructure and lack of essential drugs.
In addition to her contribution to the capacity development of Health Care Professionals, Nestlé Nigeria is contributing to changing the narrative with the refurbishment of facilities and equipping of the laboratory at Ajaka Primary HealthCare Center in Sagamu.
This intervention by Nestle will help improve the delivery of healthcare services to over 200,000 indigenes that depend on the centre.
Nestlé Nigeria completely renovated the buildings within the centre, constructed sanitation facilities and a kitchenette; just as it also installed an alternative source of power supply and provided new equipment.
To address the security challenges experienced by the centre, Nestlé Nigeria also built a perimeter fence around the facility and installed gates to control access. This intervention supports Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-Being. It is also in line with Ogun State Government’s efforts to ensure the sustainability of primary health care in the state.”
In February, 2022 Nestlé donated water facility for school in Ogun State. The facilities which will serve over 500 individuals including educators, learners and families within the community further demonstrated the company’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life and building thriving communities closest to her operations.
Nestle is not only giving succour to the people of the host communities, they believe in the future prosperity of the people and in the principle of teaching people how to fish instead of giving them fish. This they do by empowering the youths and the women through trainings and skill acquisition programmes.
The company also gives scholarships to the deserving indigenes of it operations bases in Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja.
Recently, the firm announced the second phase of her community scholarship scheme for youth of her host communities. The scholarship scheme is positioned to enable deserving students of her host communities to attain their educational and personal aspirations through financial sponsorship.
The scheme which was launched in 2020 for the host communities of the company’s factories located at Sagamu Interchange, Ogun State and Abaji, Federal Capital Territory, has been extended to include the host community of the company’s third factory in Agbara, Ogun State.
Speaking at the commissioning of Solar Powered water borehole at Manderigi community, Abaji, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Victoria Uwadoka, said, “Our commitment to creating shared value compels us to contribute towards improving livelihoods within the communities closest to our operations. We have sustained our investment in building water facilities and improving infrastructure in public schools because we believe that access to clean, safe water and quality education are two of the basic human needs for ensuring our social and economic development.
These actions, according to her, align to SDG 4 – ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all and SDG 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”
Speaking at the commissioning of water and sanitation facilities at Oke-Ona United School, Abeokuta and St Paul’s Anglican School, Orile Imo in Obafemi Owode, both in Ogun State provided by Nestle, the Honorable Commissioner for Education in Ogun State, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu commended Nestle Nigeria for their contribution.
He said “This contribution to the welfare of the leaders of tomorrow is highly commendable, and we do not take it for granted. Your consistent efforts to add value through the provision of water and sanitation facilities in schools within Ogun State is highly appreciated. The addition of yet another facility at Salvation Army Primary School 2, Edu, Agbara is indeed a welcome support to this administration led by Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR.”
Also speaking at the commissioning, the Board Chairperson of Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Femi Majekodunmi said, “Today’s event is another milestone in our collective drive to further improve the state of personal hygiene in our schools and society at large. I am therefore glad to note that the project which consists of VIP toilets, a borehole and a 2,000 litre capacity overhead storage tank all at Salvation Army Primary School 2, Edu Agbara, Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area are timely and built to world-class standards. I wish to also charge the School Management, Staff and our esteemed learners to make good use of the facilities through proper maintenance to motivate the donors as well as others to do more.”
“I therefore wish to specially appreciate Nestlé Nigeria PLC for this laudable intervention in addition to the earlier executed facilities at Oke-Ona United Primary School, Elega Abeokuta North and Saint Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Orile-lmo in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.”
Community leaders, dignitaries as well as the administrators, educators and learners of Salvation Army School 2, expressed delight at finally having water and good toilet facilities within the school premises.
Nestlé Nigeria has led actions to provide clean and safe water in communities closest to its operations in Ogun State and Abaji within the FCT. The company’s interventions support the Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring the 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 sources of drinking water, underscoring the need for consistent multi-stakeholder action to increase access.
Speaking at the commission of new water facilities in Abaji West Primary School and Manderigi, Alhaji Suleiman Hassan, Board Chairperson of FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) who was represented by Alhaji Aboki Danladi, Director School Health and Sports commended Nestlé’s consistent investment in the community.
He said, “Today’s event, which also coincides with the World Teachers Day, is another milestone in our shared passion for improving the standard of education in our schools. These projects are timely, and will positively impact the children and teachers in the two schools. This is a laudable contribution to the welfare of the leaders of tomorrow. I particularly commend Nestlé for the consistent investment in promoting education in her host communities,” he added.
On his part, the Onna of Abaji and Chairman FCT Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, represented by the Madaki of Abaji, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim said, “On behalf of the people of Abaji, I would like to thank Nestlé for the provision of these facilities in our schools. Through the support of Nestlé over the years, our wishes are becoming realities.
I call on the school community to take good care of the facilities, ensuring they are well maintained for extended productive use”.
Nestlé Nigeria has led actions to provide clean and safe water in communities closest to its operations in Ogun State and Abaji within the FCT. The company’s interventions in providing access to water support the Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. An estimated 100 million Nigerians are said to still lack basic sanitation facilities and 63 million do not have access to improved sources of drinking water, underscoring the need for consistent multi-stakeholder action to increase access, and Nestle commitment in salving this situation is worthy of commendation.
