By Gabriel Olawale

The Ogun State government in collaboration with Nestle Waters, Nigeria, have called for greater awareness and education of Nigerians on the importance of healthy hydration and water conservation.

Making the call in Abeokuta at the launch of Nestle Project WET in the state,   the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota encouraged people to borrow a leaf from the days of  water conservation and recycling where they use clay pots to collect rain water.

“The time is coming when water will become valuable commodity like crude oil, in which people will queue to have access because the wells have run dry. People will be suffering from increasing level of diseases and kidney failure will rise and struggle for water will become a life and death situation.”

Mujota however urged people to learn how to use water judiciously.

“Research has showed that waterborne diseases and epidemic are the direct products of human abuse of water and if we desire long and healthy life, we must treat our water well.

Speaking on the need to introduce the WET project in the state, involving the State Unified  (SUBEB), Marketing Manager, Nestle Waters, Mrs Gloria Nwabuike, regretted that despite the fact that access to clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right, 663 million people still have no access to improved drinking water source and 2.4 billion people lack adequate sanitation.

Nwabuike who represented the  Country Business Manager, Jason Lambe, for 20 years, Nestle Waters had worked with Project WET to help educate children and teachers worldwide on issue such as hydration and health, water use and environmental stewardship.

“We are committed to raising awareness on water conservation, improve access to water and sanitation across our value chain.

“We work with expert partners to raise awareness on water conservation issues by supporting Project WET.

“In 2015, a total of 5,994 school children and 363 teachers were trained. During the same period, 115 schools in Lagos and Osun States benefitted from the programme and in 2016 we aim to reach 140 schools.”

Also speaking, the AGM Quality Control, Ogun State Water Corporation, OGWC, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Jaji, said the state has capacity to supply 82 million litres of water daily but  inadequate power supply and leakages threaten the  mandate.

Jaji, who represented the General Manager OGWC, Engr. Monsurat Agboola said the State Governor had done  well in area of purification and pipeline expansion to serve the people.

“With a population of about four million, our daily supply of  62 million litres of water is not enough. But by the time we are able to explore the full capacity of our plant and block leakages, many areas will have access to water.”