The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited has advocated for social responsibility towards water use in celebration of the 2023 World Water Day.
To commemorate the event, the company organised a range of events across its plants in the country, including community outreach initiatives, symposiums, and lectures aimed at raising awareness on the importance of water conservation.
As part of the celebration, NBC opened its doors to a selected group of journalists providing them with an exclusive tour of its state-of-the-art Lagos plant. During the visit, the media representatives received a comprehensive briefing on the company’s cutting-edge water treatment procedures.
The Corporate Affairs and Sustainability director, NBC, Ekuma Eze, discussed the company’s dedication to sustainable water management.
With the theme for World Water Day 2023 being ‘Accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis’, he highlighted the company’s commitment to demonstrating its initiatives towards responsible water usage and educating the public on the importance of preserving water as a shared resource.
According to him, “we are aware that water is a vital ingredient in our products. As a result, we are dedicated to using water in ways that are environmentally sustainable, and economically advantageous in the communities where we operate.
“In our facilities, we put ourselves to the test by setting too ambitious goals for how to cut the amount of water we use to make our beverages.”
Over the last five years, NBC has made noteworthy progress in its efforts to minimise its water consumption, achieving an 18 per cent reduction in its water use ratio.
In the previous year, the amount of water abstracted from the environment was reduced by four per cent, with 1.5 billion litres of water released back into the environment in a condition suitable for aquatic life.
In addition, the organisation has implemented measures to recycle the water it extracts, with 192 million litres, four per cent of water reused in 2022.
Moreover, NBC has donated 22.5 million litres of water back to its host communities, underscoring its commitment to sustainable water management practices.
National Environment manager, NBC, Temitope Ogunrinde, added that. the company was open to partnerships with the government and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable water supply.
He emphasised that “water is an essential part of daily life, and it’s crucial to sustain the water supply to prevent water insecurity, particularly in high-risk areas.
