Banker/entrepreneur donates‎ toilet to primary school in Eti-Osa LGA

A young banker and social entrepreneur, Dhikrullah Gbolahan Agberemi, has donated two sets of ultramodern toilets to Ilasan Primary School, a rural settlement in Eti-Osa local government area of Lagos state.

The 26-year-old school with about 450 pupils ‎has been desperately in need of modern toilet facility within the school premises to end open defection by pupils and teachers.

Speaking at the commissioning of the project, Education Secretary of SUBEB, Eti Osa Local Government, Lanre Luqman said the toilets will reverse the perennial trend of open defecation and unsanitary behaviour amongst pupils at Ilasan Primary School. “Now, they have water closet toilets complete with wash bowls and sanitary products.”

Gbolahan said his gesture will kick start a revolution of cleanliness and discipline amongst the children.

Asked why he would go out of his way to provide these conveniences for children, Gbolahan said, “‘Project Build A Toilet’ is a Social Entrepreneurship Initiative founded in the year 2008. The organisation’s vision is to achieve the death of poor toilets and inspire a new revolution of modern toilets in Nigeria.

“To commemorate the World Toilet Day for 2016, we embarked on the upgrade of the toilet facilities in several Lagos State public schools, including the Ilasan Primary School. It gives me great joy to see these new facilities up and running as before now, the pupils of this school had never experienced running water in their toilets.

“The boys and girls used the same toilets, snakes and rodents even used the school toilet as their hiding place due to nonexistent windows. I am glad all these are now in the past due to our intervention. All the taps are now running with water, we installed the sliding window glass in all the 9 toilet windows, fixed all the dilapidated toilet seats and bowls, installed new Urinary bowls for the boys and guess what? For the first time in the history of the school, boys and girls now have separate toilets.

“This gives me personal joy and fulfilment and I’m grateful to our donors including the La Roche Leadership Foundation, our volunteers and supporters.

“Project Build A Toilet Enterprise” adopts Ilasan Primary School, Jakande Estate Lekki as one of its focal centres towards scaling up sanitation & hygiene to meet the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

At the commissioning of the toilets were the Sole Administrator of La Roche Leadership Foundation, Marina Osoba who encouraged the young entrepreneur to continue in the path of providing solutions to social problems and advised the school management to maintain the facilities provided.

She also called on affluent residents of the area to follow in Gbolahan’s path and give back to the community, insisting that true change can only come from citizens – led actions.