TotaL Energies and ExxonMobil have donated a hygiene and sanitation facility to Idris Aloma Polytechnic, Geidam, in Yobe State.
The polytechnic, established in 1993 by former Governor Bukar Ibrahim, is funded by Yobe State.
Giving an overview of the project, the coordinator, Mohammed Umara, who spoke for the head of Abkama International Limited said the project consisted of of 10 toilets with a borehole connected with a solar panel.
He noted that five of the modern toilets were meant for women, and the other five for men.
Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Mr. Mike Sangster, said the project was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and the joint partnership initiative.
Sangster noted that the company was concerned with mitigating the impact of diseases infectious to the community and harmful to life hence their intervention in hygeiene and sanitation.
“In response to health challenges posed by infectious diseases, the need for preventive health care cannot be overemphasised. Diseases, such as Ebola and COVID have shown that basic hygiene (hand washing and good sanitary environment) can protect the populace. This is why we embarked on this project in line with our commitment to wellbeing and economic development…” Sangster said.
Chairman of Board of Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Authority (JDA) Dr Almajiri Geidam said similar projects were under executution in the six geo-political zones, stressing that “the hygiene and sanitary project is one of six such projects slated for execution in the country as part of corporate social responsibility initiative under the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) Block 7, 8 & 11 production sharing contract (PSC), signed by Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe joint Development Authority (JDA) with TotalEnergies (operator of the block) EXXONMobil”.
Engr Umar explained that the projects targets only State Government Owned Tertiary Institution like Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic Geidam because of the challenges of funding that such institutions face.
The Rector of the Polytechnic who was represented at the event by Karagama Kolo Geidam expressed the gratitude of the institution to TotalEnergies, Nigeria Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Authority (JDA) and EXXONMobil.
Alhaji Karagama Kolo Geidam who received the key to the hygiene and sanitary facility on behalf of the Rector Dr Wakil Goma Kafiya noted that the intervention to build the facility came at the right time, adding that, “the students the school and teachers who visit the library will benefit from this facility since the facility is located right behind the school library”.
He noted that the institution has a good hygiene and maintenance culture while assuring the donors that, “the school will try In its possibly best to maintain the facility and its equipment. Since the facility has its original source of water supply that the facility can serve its purpose”.
“The school management of Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic, Geidam are very happy to receive this kind of intervention. The doors of the School Management is always opened to welcome intervention project like this and more from TotalEnergies and other partners in the near future,” the Rector said.
In his remarks, the Student Union Government (SUG) President Comrade Babagana Aisami On behalf the students of the polytechnic Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic thanked Total Energies and all other partners for their support to the building of the facility. He also appealed for more intervention in the near future.
The project commissioned has a Block of 10 toilets, divided into two 5 toilets each for male and female, including urinal for male with other ancillary items like wash basin and an automatic hand- dryer, a borehole with 1.5HP automatic solar-powered submersible pump as well as an overhead water tank and facility fenced.