The Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, NBC, a member of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group and bottler of Coca-Cola brands in Nigeria, has expressed its desire to establish Water Conservation Clubs in select secondary schools across the country to further drive its water stewardship programme.
Head, Public Affairs and Communications of NBC, Uzo Odenigbo, made this revelation in his message to participants at the company’s events in Owerri and Kaduna to mark the United Nation’s World Water Day.
NBC organized an awareness programme for over 200 students from 10 select public secondary schools, in its production facilities in Owerri and Kaduna to commemorate the event under the theme, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’. In addition, the students embarked on a guided tour of the company’s water treatment and Effluent Treatment Plants to understudy water conservation initiatives of NBC with a view to replicating same in their schools and communities.
According to Odenigbo, the annual World Water Day presents a platform for NBC to enlist water ambassadors in its communities who will partner with the company in propagating the message of safe water practices. He said that NBC was fully committed to sustainable partnerships and integrated approaches to solving water problems in its communities under its water stewardship programme, adding that the task of conserving finite natural resources such as water is everybody’s responsibility.
While acknowledging that water forms a significant part of NBC’s operations, the Head of Public Affairs and Communications enumerated the company’s water conservation initiatives to include: installation of Waste Water Treatment Plants in all its bottling plants across the country to ensure only water that can sustain aquatic and plant life is released back to the environment; increased focus on improving access to safe drinking water in over 20 communities through the provision of boreholes and water storage facilities, benefitting about 300,000 persons across the country and reducing the company’s water use ratio from 5.15 in 2008 to 2.42 in 2014.
“This year, we have gone a step further to ensure the sustainability of our awareness campaign on safe water practices with the students, by encouraging and supporting them to start Water Conservation Clubs in their schools,” he said.
On a similar note, Ben Langat, Managing Director of NBC, while speaking on the company’s activities to mark this year’s events, said “The Water Conservation Clubs will further provide volunteering opportunities for our colleagues to donate their time and expertise to aid knowledge transfer on safe water practices among students in a sustainable way.”
Langat, while reaffirming NBC’s commitment to providing access to potable water for water-stressed communities under its water stewardship programme, explained that NBC works to reduce, replenish and recycle water in its operations and called for a multi-sectoral approach to tackling the challenges of access to fresh and potable water for Nigerians. He further charged stakeholders to support the development and enforcement of policies that will provide sustainable potable water for all.
NBC’s undaunted commitment to product quality, manufacturing expertise, efficient production, employee development and environmental stewardship, particularly in the areas of Water Use Ratio (WUR), energy efficiency and packaging, has strengthened NBC’s industry sustainability leadership.
Do you have a story for us? kindly send to story@aproko247.com or aproko247@gmail.com Want to do business with us? Kindly call 08055590141. Thanks
