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How Lagos Is Working To Improve Water Supply – LSWC MD, Mumuni Badmus
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The Lagos Water Corporation and the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers recently collaborated to organise an essay competition.
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The competition is aimed at building future leaders from secondary school students in Lagos State.
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At the opening ceremony of the competition, the Lagos water corporation boss assured Lagosians of improved water supply.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Managing Director of the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), Engineer Mumuni Badmus, has reiterated the commitment of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration towards the provision of adequate water supply to Lagos residents by increasing the current water supply capacity from 240 cubic meters to 400 cubic meters in the next few years.
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LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus, speaking at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
He made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Annual WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Essay Competition held at Agege, Lagos State, last Wednesday.
In an interview with Eko Hot Blog, Engr Badmus addressed the inadequate water supply in the state, blaming the increase in population.
He, however, disclosed that the Lagos government is working to raise the capacity of the water supply across the state.
“The Lagos State Government is playing a very big role in the water supply. And of course, we all know that one of the factors in providing these amenities to people is population,” Engr. Badmus told our correspondent.
“As the population grows, then it stretches the demand for water. The government is doing a whole lot now in making sure that we have… We have a master plan that has created an extension of water into a lot of areas where we did not have water before.
“Now, our water capacity has reduced. We have not been able to spread supply due to population increase. Now, we are creating a [tank] which can supply 210 million gallons of water a day. There are also two plants in construction. One of them is almost completed. Also, the government is rehabilitating the old facility to make sure that the water supply continues to go on smoothly.
“The current supply capacity is still 210 million gallons per day. However, that might not be the case now because of the population. The current supply capacity we are supposed to have should be in the region of 500 million gallons per day. That is why the government is bridging the gap.”
LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus, speaking at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
Speaking further to Eko Hot Blog at the event organised by the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) in collaboration with the LSWC, the water corporation boss said the essay competition is aimed at enlightening young students across Lagos State.
He was optimistic that the competition will build future leaders and get them ready for professional life.
“As you can see around that most of the people that are working in government now are old, we need to create a room to bring up all these children behind us so that they can step in place. The best time to do that is when they are in elementary school. We can educate them and carry them along so that they will know the difference between all these professions, especially in water,” he said.
He also noted the significance of collaborating with the NIMechE due to the importance of engineering in the water supply process.
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun speaking at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
In a separate interview with Eko Hot Blog, the NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun said the essay competition for Lagos students is critical to nation-building and national development.
She disclosed that participants are expected to offer creative solutions to the water hygiene and sanitation problems in Nigeria.
“Today’s programme is very important to national development because it is centred on WASH, which means Water Sanitation and Hygiene. As a professional body, we feel that it is important that we maintain SDG 6 which is centred around water hygiene and sanitation,” Engr. Akingbagbohun said.
“And we feel that we want to build a nation where we start from the young ones. We want these young ones to be able to provide solutions to the sanitation problems in Nigeria; to be able to provide solutions to the hygiene problem in Nigeria by writing essays.”
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun speaking at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
Speaking on the unequal access to clean water in Lagos, the NIMechE boss revealed that her institution is moving to ensure that each community has access to quality water to reduce health and sanitation issues.
“To lessen the burden of access to clean water is to create them within our communities. One of the things we are starting as a pilot is to ensure that each of our communities has access to good water,” she told Eko Hot Blog.
“The moment we have access to good water, it will reduce issues about health and issues about sanitation and then, we will have a healthier environment.”
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun (L), the LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus (R), and other officials at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
Engr. Akingbagbohun disclosed that the essay competition’s grand finale will hold on World Water Day, March 22.
She also revealed that more than 30 schools across the state, which were chosen by the Lagos Ministry of Education, were participating in the competition.
“We plan to sustain the initiative by signing an MoU with the Lagos State Water Corporation and even other water corporations across the country to be able to sustain water sanitation all over the country,” the NIMechE boss said.
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun (L) and the LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus (R) at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
She stated that prizes for the essay competition winners will include laptops and other valuable items.
Earlier at the opening ceremony of the essay competition, Engr. Badmus, who spoke as the event’s Special Guest of Honour, acknowledged the issue of inadequate water facilities in some communities, which has contributed to poor hygiene.
LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus, speaking at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
He also highlighted some of the challenges that communities without adequate water facilities encounter, noting that residents in such an environment would struggle to adhere to health protocols that involve the use of water.
The LSWC boss, however, said the water corporation is working to get water to disadvantaged communities.
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun (L), the LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus (R), other officials, and participating students at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
Speaking on the essay competition, Engr. Badmus said it will help to ensure an attitudinal change in environmental hygiene and sanitation.
He also encouraged the students participating in the essay competition to put in their best and not look down on themselves if they don’t get the desired results.
“The basic crust is not about winning but learning. Losing the competition doesn’t mean failure but a chance to try something different next time,” the LSWC boss said.
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun (L), the LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus (R), other officials, and participating students at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
On her part, Engr. Akingbagbohun stressed the importance of water to life.
“Every aspect of life requires water,” she said.
The NIMechE national chairman revealed how the contamination of water bodies has made water scarce for communities and affected the maintenance of general hygiene.
“People from low-income societies are most affected,” she said, stressing how 1.2 billion people were lacking basic water amenities around the world, based on data shared by the United Nations.
NIMechE national chairman, Engr. Funmilade Akingbagbohun, the LSWC Managing Director, Engineer Mumuni Badmus, other officials, and participating students at the opening ceremony and press conference for the essay competition
Engr. Akingbagbohun noted that it is her institute’s responsibility to team up with the Lagos water corporation and address the scarcity of clean water.
FURTHER READING
“Our responsibility is to team up to address the situation through advocacy starting with the Wash Essay competition,” she added.
Click the links below to watch the interviews:
Interview session with Engineer Mumuni Badmus
Interview session with Engineer Funmilade Akingbagbohun
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