IN commemoration of their thirty years after graduation, Kings College Lagos Class of 1988, has donated a N15 million  facility to the school.

Emeka Oragwu, a member of the Class of 1988 Organising Committee said the fund was disbursed by the alumni to redesign and refurbish waste management facility in the school, adding that it was the first step in the many programmes lined up to give the school the support it deserves.

Explaining the motive behind the donation, Oragwu said that the overriding sentiment was that the anniversary provided a suitable opportunity for the year group to express its gratitude to the school.

He said:  “Our successes in life are due to the solid intellectual and social foundation we received at Kings College. The best way to express our thanks to our alma mater is  by giving something back to the school.”

On his part, Mohammed Shaibu, member of the Organising Committee explained further the rationale behind the waste management facility. According to him, they swung into action when the Class of ’88  discovered the inadequacy of  the  waste disposal system designed for the highly populated school.

He said: “The increase in numbers of student population, as is the case with the demand on public services generally in Nigeria, is largely beyond the control of the school body. Unsurprisingly, the school has struggled to accommodate the additional pressure on facilities and resources.

“Prompted by the scale and urgency of the situation, the Class of 1988 decided to not only develop a solution for the waste management challenge, one that would not only remove the health hazard but would also leave a lasting, practical legacy.

The project will also ensure the development of a waste classification system, promoting ecological and environmental awareness; and the development of a waste management awareness training programme, to embed a new culture of waste management on the Kings College site.

“We didn’t merely wish to bequeath the physical infrastructure to the school; we wanted to put in place the makings of a new culture, one that would encourage the long-term sustainability of the project. Through this, not only would the school take ownership of the solution; it could also set an example, championing the positive outcomes of long-term planning.

“One innovative feature of the project was the installation of an anaerobic digester, capable of converting organic waste to methane gas. There is the potential to derive value from waste.”