Over 500 Students To Benefit As Rotary Commissions Modern Toilet Facility At Gbegira School

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The Rotary Club of Arepo Longbridge, in partnership with Stavanger International Rotary Club, Norway, and supported by a District 9112 grant, has commissioned a six-unit toilet facility at Gbegira Community Model High School in Lotto area of Ogun State to improve sanitation and the learning environment for students.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, President of the Rotary Club of Arepo Longbridge, Rotarian Richard Oguntoyinbo, said the project was conceived following a community needs assessment conducted at the beginning of the 2025–2026 Rotary year.

According to him, the assessment identified inadequate sanitation facilities as a major challenge facing the school, which has a population of over 500 students and more than 20 staff members.

He noted that the existing facilities were grossly insufficient, creating health and hygiene concerns, exposing students to sanitation-related diseases and negatively affecting school attendance and the overall learning environment.

Oguntoyinbo said the club subsequently engaged its long-standing international partner, Stavanger International Rotary Club, Norway, and both organisations agreed to collaborate on a sustainable sanitation project aimed at improving the welfare, health and educational experience of the students.

He explained that the newly commissioned facility comprises six flushable toilet units, six handwashing basins, complete plumbing and electrical installations, durable roofing, quality finishing, and a properly engineered septic tank and soakaway system.

“This facility is more than a structure; it is an investment in the health, dignity, safety and educational future of over 500 children. It stands as a testament to the power of Rotary partnerships, community engagement, and our unwavering commitment to Service Above Self,” he said.

Oguntoyinbo added that the project aligns with Rotary International’s areas of focus on Basic Education and Literacy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, and Clean Water and Sanitation.

He said the intervention is expected to improve hygiene practices, reduce sanitation-related illnesses, increase school attendance, particularly among female students, and provide sustainable sanitation infrastructure for future generations.

Representing District Governor Rotarian Lanre Adedoyin, Zonal Coordinator Olalekan Fadairo described the project as an investment in the health, dignity, safety and future of the students.

“Today, we are commissioning more than a toilet facility; we are investing in the health, dignity, safety and future of over 500 students,” he said.

According to him, the facility will improve sanitation, promote healthy hygiene practices, reduce disease and create a better learning environment.

Fadairo noted that the intervention aligns with Rotary’s areas of focus, including Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Disease Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Basic Education and Literacy, Environmental Sustainability and Community Development.

He urged the school community to take ownership of the facility and ensure its proper maintenance for future generations of students.

Acting Principal of Gbegira Community Model High School, Adewale Iyanu, expressed gratitude to the Rotary Club for the project, describing it as a source of joy for the school.

“We are grateful for their support and the construction of this toilet. It has been a great joy in our hearts for Rotary Club to think of it and help to build new toilets for us,” he said.

He pledged that the school would maintain the facility adequately and appealed to the Rotary Club to sustain its support for the institution.

Also speaking, Chairman of Harmony Area CDC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, commended the Rotary Club for bringing the project to the community and called on officials of the Ministry of Education to expedite the process of approving and adopting the school.

“For you to locate this area, I know God has directed you to us. We appreciate this project,” he said.

A representative of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Akingbaye Olubukola who attended on behalf of the Commissioner for Education and Zonal Education Officer, thanked the Rotary Club for identifying a need and partnering with the government to address it.

“You have seen a need and you have stepped in. You have made it possible,” he said.

Akingbaye noted that the facility would not only serve learners and teachers but would also support efforts toward the school’s eventual takeover by the state government, describing it as one of the requirements for that process.

He urged the school community to appreciate the intervention by ensuring the facility is properly used and maintained, while encouraging the Rotary Club and its partners to continue supporting communities where similar needs exist.

Rotarian Tayo Egunjobi, the Project Chairman encouraged the school make good use of the facility, stressing that the Club will be coming to see how the school is using and maintaining the projects.