Nestlé Nigeria marked the World Water Day 2023 by educating over 160 schoolchildren and teachers on the importance of responsible water management.
The event, in collaboration with the Ogun State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and the FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, included a tour of the company’s water plants in Agbara, Ogun State, and Abaji, in the Federal Capital Territory.
The children participated in games aimed at inculcating the right habits for water use, consumption, and management, to help them become better stewards of this precious resource.
The World Water Day, an annual United Nations observance to raise awareness about the importance of water and its impact on preserving this scarce resource, has this year’s theme as “Accelerating Change.”
Joy Abdullah Marketing and Category Manager for Nestlé Waters Nigeria, highlighted the importance of managing water resources in a way that is equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically beneficial, saying, “With the increasing pressure on our water resources, we all need to work together to preserve this vital resource we all depend on.”
Cross section of participating children
In his comments at the Agbara factory, Mr Sola Ogunbor, the Program Manager Ogun State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, emphasized the importance of daily consumption of clean water in adequate amounts for optimal hydration and healthy living.
He encouraged children to adopt new behaviors on how they use, consume, and manage water to avoid wastage of this precious resource.
Chinyelu Obrike, Head, Water Supply, FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, noted that every action, no matter how small, makes a difference, and children are agents of change.
She expressed her happiness in collaborating with Nestlé Nigeria on this laudable initiative that will bring rapid transformative change needed to fast-track the achievement of SDG 6 – water and sanitation for all.
Esther Samuel, a primary 5 pupil of Salvation Army School 1 Agbara, expressed her excitement and appreciation for the educational experience, saying, “I am ready to practice what I have been taught at home, and I will definitely teach my siblings and friends all I have learned.”
Nestlé Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the environment for future generations includes caring for water, as one of the ways they do this.
The company reaches over 8,000 children annually with information on healthy hydration and water conservation through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids initiative, a school-based nutrition education program.
The company also works with stakeholders and partners to increase access to clean, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities (WASH) for individuals and families, as well as teachers and students in schools within its communities.