Guinness “Water of Life” tackles pandemic in Kebbi, Kano, FCT, others

As part of efforts to support the government’s quest in addressing the ravaging Covid-19, Guinness Nigeria Plc recently completed another round of its Water of Life projects across five states in Nigeria. The states which benefitted from the recent interventions are Edo, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The current Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project is estimated to have impacted about 22,000 residents across the communities identified in the states.

It would be recalled that since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the last quarter of the year 2019, the World Health Organisation has intensified campaigns for improved hand-washing to prevent the spread of the virus. The world body advised that proper hand-washing would significantly reduce the possibility of coronavirus infection among humans.

Justifying the need for the support, Baker Magunda, Managing Director at Guinness Nigeria Plc said, “The goal of the Diageo Water Replenishment Project is to provide access to safe water and hygiene education to at least 20,000 residents in the selected communities across the four states and the FCT. By these interventions, we believe that the vulnerability of our people to the dreaded coronavirus would be reduced.”

Communities that benefited from the recent intervention include Katsinawa Layin Mai Ungwa, Katsinawa Layin Uwar Biyu, and Katsinawa Unguwar Hajiya Sa’a, all in Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State. In Kebbi and Nasarawa States, residents of Damana community in Birnin Kebbi LGA and Ishugu in Obi LGA respectively benefitted from the project.

The provision of mini-water works for residents of Egboha community in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State and Katche Community in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory completed this round of projects.

“Currently, the Water of Life scheme is providing water to close to two million Nigerians in underserved communities using solar-powered water systems and it has reached a milestone of installing 39 of such water schemes across 28 States including the FCT. The benefits of access to clean water supply in these communities will reduce the time and costs households expend in accessing alternative water sources and will lead to improved health outcomes, particularly the reduction in waterborne and infectious diseases,” Magunda stated.