CCDI, Swiss Embassy Commission Refurbished Toilets, Libraries In Abuja Schools

By Bukar BOLORI

In a significant step towards improving hygiene and learning conditions in public schools, Create That Change Development Initiative (CCDI), in collaboration with the Embassy of Switzerland, has commissioned newly refurbished facilities at two schools in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The projects, unveiled at LEA Pilot Science Primary School and LEA Phase III Primary School, include a reconstructed 12-stall toilet block and two fully refurbished libraries.

They mark the first phase of CCDI’s Public-School Revival Initiative (PSRI), an intervention designed to restore dignity, enhance sanitation, and provide inclusive learning spaces for Nigerian children.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Executive Director of CCDI, Mrs. Sharon Ayeni, described access to clean toilets as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.

“Access to clean toilets is a basic right, not a luxury. We are grateful to our partners at the Swiss Embassy for supporting this project. Together, we are uplifting schools that need it most and investing in the brighter futures of children,” Ayeni said.

She explained that the project was inspired by CCDI’s earlier outreach programme, Start Smart September, where pupils at the schools identified toilet and library facilities as their most urgent needs.

According to her, one of the schools’ toilet blocks had been abandoned for nearly two decades, earning the nickname “haunted house” among pupils.

The Deputy Ambassador of Switzerland, Mr. Sayer Rouhani, who represented the Swiss Embassy, joined CCDI to officially commission the facilities.

For the Headteacher of LEA Primary School Phase III, Mr. Abdel Liza Njibri, the intervention was nothing short of a rescue.

“For more than 10 years, this school did not have a functional toilet. It is God that sent CCDI and the Swiss Embassy to us. They gave us a 12-stall toilet, refurbished our library, connected water, and even sponsored some of our less privileged pupils by paying their school fees and providing books and bags. We are sincerely grateful,” he said.

Also reflecting on the project, Ms. Oluwamu Mirayo Ame, a CCDI volunteer who was once a pupil of the school, said the initiative was deeply personal.

“Over 20 years ago, when I was in this school, the toilet was an eyesore that we all believed was haunted. Returning here and seeing it transformed into a clean, safe facility is a dream come true. Now children, especially girls, will not have to leave school during the day to relieve themselves,” she said.

The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) agenda, which seeks to improve child health, learning outcomes, and dignity in underserved communities.

It also builds on CCDI’s earlier efforts in July 2025, when the organisation delivered two eight-stall toilet facilities to LEA Primary School, Kabusa, and LEA Nomadic Primary School, Apo Dutse.

Create That Change Development Initiative (CCDI) is a Nigerian registered non-governmental organisation committed to transforming the lives of children through interventions in education, health, and community development.