The Rotary Club of Omole Golden has constructed and donated a modern four toilet facility valued at over N4m to the Iju Ogundimu Market community in Lagos.

A statement by Rotary Club on Tuesday said the four toilet facilities was to addressing a long-standing sanitation challenge in Iju Market.

Speaking during the commissioning of the project, President of the Club, Rotarian Babajide Ogunleye, described the initiative as a critical response to years of repeated requests from the community.

“For the past four years, this community has always approached our club with a needs assessment and letters requesting the construction of this toilet. The challenge has been the timing they usually came in during the Rotary Year, when ideally they should have reached out as the incoming president was planning the year. This time, they came early, and although we had already outlined our commitments, we resolved to take on the project once our other obligations were completed,” he said.

The newly commissioned facility comprises four toilets, two for males and two for females, and was built from scratch on a strong foundation.

Ogunleye stressed the necessity of the project, noting the health implications of poor sanitation.

“There was nowhere for the entire community to relieve themselves they had to go into bushes and gutters, which clearly does not support a healthy environment.

“We assessed the need and concluded it was urgent and genuine,” he said.

Ogunleye revealed that the project was funded entirely through donations by members of the Rotary Club.

“The funds were raised by kind-hearted Rotarians who contribute weekly, some gave N5,000, others N20,000, N50,000 or N100,000. It was truly a collective effort,” he explained.

To ensure the sustainability of the project, Ogunleye said the club would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the community, clearly outlining maintenance responsibilities.

“If the toilet handle or water supply gets damaged, for example, the community will be expected to fix it. The market chairman, who was present today, was so impressed that he pledged to personally ensure the facility is well maintained, MOU or no MOU,” he said.

He also emphasised the durability of the project.

“This is not a cosmetic upgrade; it was built from the ground up and should last for at least 20 years,” he added.

Ogunleye urged the community to protect the facility, saying, “You don’t have to have much to make an impact. Even those who contributed just N5,000 helped make this a reality. Please take care of this facility. Nothing would make us happier than returning in a year’s time to see it still standing and fully functional.”

Also present at the event was Rotarian Prince Akiyele, the District Governor-Elect of Rotary International, District 9111.

He said the project was in line with Rotary’s global focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene.

“This is one of Rotary’s core areas of focus, and incidentally, public sanitation was Rotary International’s first-ever service project, over a century ago in Chicago. This toilet will greatly improve hygiene in this busy market area and promote a healthy environment,” he added.

He further encouraged the community to sustain the project: “I appeal to the beneficiaries to ensure proper maintenance. Let this project be a reason for us to return and support the community again. I’ve also suggested that a committee be formed to oversee the facility and ensure it is put to proper use.”

The Baba Oja (male market leader), of Iju-Ogundimu Market, Alhaji L.A Azeez, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Community Development Committee in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, expressed deep appreciation on behalf of the community.

He said, “In fact, it will improve the market tremendously. It has a lot of impact on the market and the surrounding society. It aligns with the government’s goal of promoting better sanitation and a healthy environment We sincerely thank the Rotary Club and pray for their continued progress.”

As a community leader and direct beneficiary, Azeez also promised to ensure the facility is properly managed.

“The most important thing is regular monitoring. We will appoint people to maintain it and form a dedicated sanitation committee, as suggested,” he stated.