Bizzell Delivers Clean Water Projects in Two Underserved Communities in Nigeria
September 8th, 2022 (New Carrollton, MD) – Recently, The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) constructed and handed over two water projects donated to two underserved communities, Odo Ayedun-Ekiti and Oke Ako-Ekiti, both located in Ajoni Local Council Development Area in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The projects were commissioned by the Ekiti State First lady, Her Excellency Erelu Bisi Fayemi in the presence of Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, CEO of Bizzell on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 in a colorful ceremony.
The two identical projects located in the Odo Ayedun and Oke Ako communities have a standard borehole 328 feet deep supported by a solar powered pump of over 400 feet capacity. Each facility comprises a 5,000 liters capacity ground tank that first steps down the water received from the water table before transmitting through two fiber cylinder bottle water treatment plants, and then sends the water to the 10,000 liters overhead tank before delivery to the water point platform where individuals in the communities can then collect clean water. Both are powered by state of the art energy efficient solar panels.
The projects were donated as part of Bizzell’s corporate social responsibility and addresses both sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water which remains a challenge in Nigeria. “It is estimated that more than 60 million people in Nigeria do not have access to basic clean water supply and that number grows each year as a result of climate change and population growth”, according to Dr. Bizzell. “Water saves lives and providing clean water is more important now than ever which is why we decided to construct and donate the water projects to the Odo Ayedub and Oke Ako communities in the Ekiti State of Nigeria”.
The commissioning of the projects was preceded by a ceremony at the palace of the traditional ruler of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Solomon Ilesanmi Ajibade JP (Ajigbotoluwa I), the Owa of Odo Ayedun, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the community, and conferred the chieftaincy title of Balógun Akórewọ̀lú of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti on Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the community. Dr. Bizzell, an African-American who traces his ancestry to Nigeria through ancestry DNA testing was also named ‘Ọmọ́wálé’ and welcomed as a son of the community.
The chieftaincy and commissioning ceremonies were witnessed by a mammoth crowd from the community, as well as senior government officials, traditional rulers, and other community stakeholders. The Ekiti First Lady H.E. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, on behalf of the Government of Ekiti State, thanked Bizzell for the kind gesture and appealed to them to favorably consider scaling up the intervention to benefit more communities. In her words, “You will find the Government and people of Ekiti state – the land of honor – to be people of integrity, who will always follow through with commitments they make to you and ensure such interventions are protected and well maintained.”
Mr. Akin Rotimi, a community leader and facilitator of the project stated that “the initiative goes a long way in consolidating the cordial relationship between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United States of America and is a demonstration of citizen diplomacy championed by well-meaning Americans in collaboration with Nigerians who have worked together to deliver the project”.