The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) have donated 10 solar-powered boreholes and 16 VIP latrines to some communities in seven LGAs in Borno.
Speaking at the formal handover ceremony of the projects in Maiduguri on Wednesday, Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, lauded NNPC/ SNEPCO for the intervention.
He said it would impact positively on the lives of the benefitting communities.
Kadafur, whose speech was read by Alhaji Mohammed Wanori, the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Affairs, said the intervention was in line with the administration’s policy of restoration of livelihood in communities worst affected by the decade-long insurgency.
“This administration places a high premium on the adage which says ‘water is life’ and, therefore, has placed the issue of providing portable water for human and animal consumption among its 10-point agenda.
“On behalf of the people of Borno state, we remain appreciative for this uncommon intervention as part of your corporate social responsibility.
“This will certainly go a long way in addressing water scarcity being experienced in the selected communities.
“Therefore, this intervention is quite commendable and should be sustained for the benefit of the people of Borno State,” Kadafur said.
While assuring the sustainability of the projects, Kadafur urged benefiting communities to ensure maximum utilization of the facilities.
Speaking earlier, the Project Manager, Alhaji Ibrahim Ringim, said the projects comprised 10 hybrid solar boreholes and 16 VIP latrines that are user-friendly for people living with disabilities.
He said that they were executed in seven LGAs across the three Senatorial Zones of the state.
“A provision is also made for laundry areas for women and children.
“Message from the sponsors (NNPC/SNEPCO) is that there should be sustainability for maximum utilization of the facilities,” Ringim said.
The Chairman of Gubio LGA, Alhaji Mali Gubio, and General Manager of Ruwassa in Borno, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu, on behalf of benefiting LGAs and communities, thanked the donors for the gesture.
They lauded the intervention and assured their commitment to its protection and maintenance.
In their respective virtual messages to the occasion, representatives of NNPC, Aliyu Jafaru, and that of SNEPCO, Alice Aji, said the joint projects were part of their corporate support to communities in Borno and other states across Nigeria.