The Lagos Apex Lions Club has donated four cubicle toilets and a borehole to Onigbongbo Primary School, Maryland, Lagos, to enhance learning and sanitation.
The President of the club, Dr Matilda Braimoh, said at the inauguration of the project on Friday that it was the club’s legacy project for 2022 aimed at improving health and education in the state.
Braimoh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the club embarked on the project to create a conducive learning environment for pupils.
She said that the toilets and borehole which cost the club the sum of N3 million was part of its social responsibility initiative.
Braimoh said that the project was a demonstration of the club’s commitment to better the society.
“The Lagos Apex Lions Club under district, 404B2 under the auspices of Lions International Club, is here at Onigbongbo Primary School, Maryland, to present our legacy project.
“The group is handing over a block of toilets built for this nursery school. We have meetings close by, and the idea is that we should be able to affect our immediate community positively.
“So, this school is within our immediate community, so we came on a need assessment to see what we could do to help.
“We wanted to renovate the classrooms but the headmistress informed us that the nursery section lacked toilet facilities.
“It cost us about N3 million to set up the block of toilets and the water system,” Braimoh told NAN.
On his part, Mr Kayode Oshinuga, the District Governor, Lions Club International, commended the club for the kind gesture
“The project is very impactful and helpful and I am very happy about this, because it is in line with our objective as a group.
“We try to identify what a community needs before we actually offer the service.
“We don’t just go to a community and say we want to sink a borehole when they already have pipe-borne water.
“We came into this school with a different mind-set of a different project but after interacting with the authorities they informed that toilet was what they needed most,” Oshinuga said.
The Regional Governor, Lions Club International, Mrs Anita Nana-Okuribido, said the project was aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and healthy habits for the schoolchildren.
“I am really very happy because I am an environmentalist and every project that the group has carried out is all about the environment.
“You can see we planted trees as well and when you plant a tree you protect the environments. We have done sanitation and provided water as well.
“The schoolchildren can now go into this wonderful clean five-star standard toilets, wash their hands and maintain basic hygiene practices.
“We actually feel refreshed and I say congratulations to the president of the Lagos Apex Lions Club,” Nana-Okuribido said..
She said the club would continue to take action on sustainable projects that would have lasting impact on communities.
Responding, Mrs Victoria Kayode, the Headmistress, Onigbongbo Primary School, commended the club for its timely intervention.
“It is with great pleasure we welcome you to the commissioning of a block of toilet facilities donated to the Onigbongbo Primary School.
“When the group came to the school to tell us their intention to renovate the classrooms, we told them our major problem was the lack of toilet facilities for the nursery pupils.
“So they came back and set up the toilet and water system for the school. We are indeed grateful to the Lagos Apex Lions Club. And we say a big thank you,” Kayode said.
The Chairman State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Wahab Alawiye-King, represented by Mr Philip Amusan, called for more partnership with non-profit organisations in the provision of basic amenities for government schools in the state.
“The health of children in public schools is very important to the state government and the provision of the toilet facilities is a right step in ensuring health safety of our schoolchildren.
“We are glad to be here at the commissioning of the toilet facilities and water system at the Onigbongbo Primary School.
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“We have always looked forward to groups and non-government organisations that partner with the government in the provision of basic amenities like this.
“This is not the first of their intervention in schools across the state but we also yearn for more, we need more of this in our schools,” Alawiye-King said.
