After over 15 years of abandonment, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on Thursday, commissioned the rehabilitated 2.4 million gallons per day water plant in Apapa.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the water plant in Apapa, the managing director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the commissioning is the beginning of the Authority’s long-term plans to enhance infrastructure and living conditions across Port locations.
He, however, reiterated the management’s intention to intensify necessary collaborations and partnerships geared towards the improvement of lives of the authority’s stakeholders and communities in a sustainable manner.
He said, “As an organization whose operation is dependent on water, we are committed to contributing our quota to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 6 which is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, which is very much in harmony with our dedication to the welfare of the people living and working in the vicinity of our Ports.
“Responding to the existential needs of our operating environment is top priority on our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda, and this explains why we gave speedy approval to the request of Lagos Channel Management (LCM) our Joint Venture Partner to resuscitate the Apapa Water Works which had been non-functional for about a decade.”
“The successful commissioning today of this 2.4 Million Gallons Per Day water plant is just the beginning of the Nigerian Ports Authority’s long-term plans to enhance the infrastructure and living conditions across our Port locations.”
“Let me seize this moment to reiterate our intention as a Management team to intensify necessary collaborations and partnerships geared towards the improvement of lives of our stakeholders and communities in a sustainable manner.”
He also urged states and non-states actors to take frontline ownership of the investment and ensure it is adequately maintained.
Also speaking, the general manager, Legal Service, Lagos Channel Management (LCM), Kesi Seun-Adedamola, said the project which was worth several millions of naira was wholly sponsored by her company as CSR.
“We fully sponsored the project. Also, we are 60 percent owned by NPA and an appeal was made to NPA for the rehabilitation and they directed them to us. However, our management sees the project as a laudable project to undertake within our host community and we finance it 100 percent,” Adedamola stated.
Speaking earlier, the managing director, Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), Muminu Badmus, said the rehabilitation of the mini-water plant is a lifeline for the Apapa community and its neighbouring areas.
According to him, the water plant will serve as a reliable and sustainable source of potable water, fostering the well-being and prosperity of the people.
“This transformative water facility, with a capacity to produce 2.4 million Gallons per Day, is not simply a testament to our commitment but a lifeline for the Apapa community and its neighbouring areas. It will serve as a reliable and sustainable source of potable water, fostering the well-being and prosperity of the people we passionately serve.”
“As we reflect upon the journey that has led us to this moment, we recall that the Apapa Waterworks was first constructed under the visionary leadership of the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, the former governor of Lagos State. In 2007, this vital infrastructure underwent rehabilitation efforts to further bolster its capacity.
“Nevertheless, the waterworks faced numerous challenges that impeded its operations and compromised the water supply to the community. It is at this crucial juncture that we express our sincere appreciation to the Nigerian Ports Authority for their invaluable support in rehabilitating critical components of the treatment plant.”
“From the servicing of boreholes to the repair and painting of tanks, their collaboration has been instrumental in overcoming these
obstacles. We must also acknowledge the unwavering commitment of the Apapa Local Government and the dedicated members of the Apapa Residents Association, who have stood firmly by our side throughout this journey,” he said.
