Female Engineers Calls for Sanitation Action in Lagos Communities

Funmi Ogundare

Chairperson of the Lagos Chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN),Mrs. Atinuke Wuraola Owolabi, yesterday appealed to the  federal and state governments, as well as international organisations, to assist the Aiyetoro Makoko/Ilaje communities in Lagos,  by providing sanitary toilet facilities. 

She made the call at the Cholera Sensitisation and Waterways Cleanup Awareness Drive, themed, ‘Engineering Clean Communities: Preventing Cholera Together#thechangebeginswithme#’,  in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources;  and WaterAid Nigeria.

Owolabi highlighted the serious issue of unhygienic waste disposal in the community and expressed the association’s plan to construct a proper toilet facility.

She emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts in solving this problem and suggested that a bio-digester could be utilised to power the community.

 “A community without toilets faces significant waste disposal challenges. We can work together to find solutions and use these facilities to improve the community.” 

“She said.

She stressed that creating a clean environment starts with changing the community’s mindset and promoting proper hygiene.

To support this initiative, APWEN has established a 50-member sanitation task force, led by the Community Development Association (CDA) chairman, and provided them with the necessary tools for maintaining cleanliness.

Owolabi also highlighted the need for empowering local youth and ensuring the sustainability of hygiene practices.

 “We have ambassadors to monitor and maintain hygiene standards. They have been given two weeks for initial cleanup efforts, and we will conduct inspections afterward. Additionally, they require approximately N350,000 to clean the contaminated waterways, which affect neighboring communities,” the chairperson stressed.

Addressing the importance of tackling the root of the contamination, Owolabi noted that cleaning the waterways is a challenging but essential task. Following the cleanup, the association plans to develop innovative solutions to transform the community from a state of vulnerability to one of empowerment.

Head of WaterAid’s Lagos Programme, Adebayo Alao, explained that his organisation has engaged with community leaders and CDA members to understand the issues they face, including access to clean water, sanitation, and the lack of toilet facilities. WaterAid plans to collaborate with engineering students from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to design solutions for these challenges. 

“The students will develop innovative concepts to address these issues. The resolution will come in due course,” he said.