Olam Agri, an Agribusiness firm, has launched a water project in Kano to improve food security and support the country’s rural water, sanitation, and hygiene policy.
The project was done in partnership with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, a partner to UNICEF, under Olam Agri’s ‘Seeds for the Future’ programme.
In a statement made available to the press on Monday, the firm noted that it had inaugurated and handed over safe water projects in Kano and Jigawa States.
The firm explained that the project involves constructing three new hand pump boreholes, rehabilitating seven existing ones, and adding one solar-powered borehole.
It stated that the initiative aimed to provide clean, drinkable water to farming communities, thereby enhancing food security, boosting agricultural productivity, and reducing health issues like waterborne diseases.
It disclosed that 15 communities would benefit from the initiative, which amounts to approximately 34,150 residents and 1,684 farmers across Jigawa, Kano, Nasarawa, Benue, and Plateau States; key regions for wheat, sesame, and rice production.
Commenting on the initiative, the Managing Director of Olam Agri in Nigeria, Anil Nair, emphasised that the Safe Water Project was part of the company’s broader corporate responsibility and sustainability strategy, with a budget of approximately N6.5bn.
To ensure the project’s sustainability, the firm revealed that local community members had been trained as local area mechanics to maintain the water facilities, providing them with a source of income and promoting economic growth.
In 2023, Olam Agri’s Global CR&S conducted a food security baseline survey in Nigeria’s sourcing regions, which revealed a severe lack of access to clean drinking water, particularly in the north.
