By Dickson Omobola

Private firm, Langovest Limited, has urged government to adopt a more lenient tax regime for organisations involved in providing free and safe drinking water to Nigerians, saying such support would help expand access across the country.

The firm also called for improved access to potable water, saying well-meaning individuals and private organisations could play a greater role in bridging the national water deficit.

According to data from the Nigerian Institute of Water Engineers, NIWE, published in March 2024, approximately 179 million Nigerians lack access to safely managed drinking water.

NIWE also revealed that about 67 per cent of the population does not have access to basic water supply.

To this end, the Business Development Lead at Langovest, Mr David Amafina, said the organisation was seeking stronger collaboration with government to address the challenge.

Amafina spoke during the presentation of a water infiltration machine to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja.

He said: “We call on government to open its doors. It should be more lenient in terms of restrictions and, should I say, tax prerogatives. This will make it easier for private companies carrying out this duty to extend access across Lagos and Nigeria at large.

“A lot of companies, institutions and non-governmental organisations are doing their best to ensure Nigerians have access to safe drinking water. But at what cost? At what price? How many average Nigerians can afford such purified, clean drinking water? A lot of organisations are trying, but there is still a need for improvement.”

On the factors behind choosing LASUTH, he said: “This machine was donated to LASUTH as part of our corporate social responsibility initiative. One of our motivations was to identify healthcare centres committed to improving the health and welfare of Lagos State residents. We conducted extensive research and narrowed our selection based on set criteria.

“LASUTH was among the institutions we reached out to, and they were very open to hosting the deployment. They were not the only institution, but they stood out in terms of technical support and assistance with sample analysis. Their facilities also make them suitable for hosting this kind of machine. We are also working to optimise our machines to reduce dependence on constant electricity supply.”

Also speaking, Legal and Compliance Officer at Langovest, Adefunke Olatoke, described the Aquapoint machine as a water filtration system.

She said: “It is an infrastructure that provides a water solution. Its main function is to make clean drinking water available and accessible. We are starting here, but it does not end here. The goal is to deploy one every 500 metres across the state, with plans to install about 2,500 machines in Lagos State by 2030.

“This will drive long-term impact in providing clean and affordable drinking water to residents of Lagos. The machine is connected to the water source here. It functions like a packaging system, dispensing clean water without the need for bottling or additional processing.

“What we are doing is important because there is a growing need for infrastructure in Africa. Also, there is increasing interest from the diaspora community to invest or take part in infrastructure development. Langovest sits at the intersection of that.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Olayinka Oye-Bamgbose, in a letter of appreciation delivered at the MRC Administrative Building, acknowledged the donation.

According to him, the facility would help improve access to clean and safe water within the hospital reception area.