NGO, Switzerland Embassy donate toilets, furniture to Lagos schools 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that male and female toilets were donated at Langbasa Primary School in Lagos on Wednesday.

Similarly, 120  pupils’ desks, chairs and 10 teachers’ tables and chairs worth over two million naira were donated at Oke-Odo Community Primary School, Abule-Egba.

Mrs Stella Francis, Executive Director, Glowing Splints Development Initiative, said the  organisation saw the gesture as a priority to ensure that schools, especially public schools had good, neat and functional toilets.

Francis said that according to UNICEF standards, WASH facilities in schools are a very essential part of the learning environment in every school.

“It is a very significant factor in the attainment of sustainable development goal four and five.

“This objective made us approach the embassy of Switzerland for partnership and funding support to carry out this laudable project.

“The embassy graciously acceded to our proposal and obliged us with the toilet project and furniture project in another public primary school in Lagos state,’’ she said.

Francis added that they were grateful to Lagos SUBEB for giving them the privilege to contribute their quota to the enhancement of the learning environment in these two public schools.

“I acknowledge your giant strides in placing the basic education sub sector on the global level, especially with the digitalisation of education delivery.

“I urge the pupils and staff of the primary school to make good use of it and work on the maintenance seriously.

“I also appeal to the school based management committee to assist in the sustainability of this project,’’ she said.

In his opening remarks, Mr Thomas Schneider, Consular General, Switzerland Embassy in Lagos State said the partnership with the NGO was to improve students’ personal hygiene.

Schneider said that it was important to be on the safe side when it comes to personal hygiene especially in schools.

“Switzerland Embassy would always support personal hygiene among students and contribute to the education system in Lagos State.

The Chairman of Lagos SUBEB, Mr Wale Alawiye-King, appealed for more collaboration and intervention between NGOs and public schools in the state.

Alawiye-King, who was represented by Mr Oluwatobi Amusan, Assistant Health Officer, Lagos SUBEB, said that schools in the state still needed urgent intervention from different stakeholders and organisations.