The Blue Community is proud to welcome two new partner organisations from Nigeria’s Cross River State: The Uyo Iban (Women Voices) Amplifier Initiative (UIAI) and Biakwan Light Green Initiative (BLGI).
Uyo Iban – Women Voices
The Blue Community welcomes the organisation Uyo Iban (Women Voices) Amplifier Initiative (UIAI) from Nigeria’s Cross River State in the Blue Community and strengthen it women power in Africa.
Formerly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria as the Nkori Rural Women and Development Initiative (NRWDI), Uyo Iban Amplifier Initiative retains its former name to reflect its mission and joins the Blue Community to strengthen its work on water justice, women’s rights and environmental protection. UIAI believes that water is a human right and must remain a public trust, not a commodity. UIAI states: «By affiliating, we expect to learn from global best practices, amplify women’s voices in water governance and build solidarity with communities facing similar challenges.’ We will contribute by sharing grassroots research and stories from Nigeria, mobilising women and young people around Blue Community principles and advocating for policies that protect access to safe water and reduce plastic pollution. Through this commitment, we aim to advance collective action to defend water, strengthen community resilience, and ensure just and sustainable futures.»
The organisation’s goal is to support water and wastewater systems that remain in public hands and serve the common good. It advocates against privatisation and engages with local authorities on the importance of publicly managed water services. It also raises community awareness of why water must remain a shared, publicly governed resource.
UIAI promotes access to clean and safe public drinking water as an alternative to bottled water. It raises awareness of the health, economic and environmental impacts of bottled water and encourages the use of safe public water sources. UIAI also works with schools and communities to reduce dependence on plastic bottles.
Okoho Ene, Programme Manager at OIAI, celebrates affiliation to the Blue Community:
«Access to safe clean water and sanitation is central to dignity and justice. Together with others, we can push for systemic change that ensures no community is left behind. »
Biakwan Light Green Initiative (BLGI)
The Blue Community also welcomes the Biakwan Light Green Initiative (BLGI). Founded and registered in 1998 in Nigeria’s Cross River State, BLGI is a non-profit organisation that aims to empower community members to survive and thrive in the areas of water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and natural resource governance, while promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through community-based, sustainable natural resource strategies.
BLGI’s vision is to create a sustainable society based on knowledge and dignity in all aspects of community development. The organisation has grown, and now employs eight permanent members of staff and 23 volunteers, including an environmental scientist/climate change analyst, programme manager, admin/accounts officer, database analyst, ICT officer, gender and equity specialist, community mobilisation/communication officer, and project monitoring and evaluation manager.
In its application to join the Blue Community, BGIL commits to ensuring that everyone has unlimited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and to providing evidence-based advocacy on matters relating to water, sanitation and hygiene. To fulfil this commitment, BLGI plans to advocate for sound, workable policies on water, sanitation and hygiene; to promote inclusive participation in and governance of WASH; and to advocate for policy reviews to ensure water is accessible to all.
BGIL also focuses on ensuring proper budgeting in the water sector and ensuring that vulnerable communities have unlimited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. BGIL networks with government agencies to promote inclusive governance in the water sector and to ensure that safe water, sanitation and hygiene are not only available, but accessible, particularly in schools where BGIL delivers WASH education.
Peter Uru Betta, Executive Director of BLGI, states:
«Our organization is pleased to celebrate as a certified member of the Blue Community. As for our guiding principles, we are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Our team has been a leading CSO in Boki local government area, cross River State Nigeria. We are committed to promoting the certification of open defecation free (ODF) in communities and also ensuring that school pupils in rural communities are practicing sound hand washing at critical times.
BLGI works to ensure inclusive governance in the water sector while promoting access to WASH in schools through evidence based WASH education.»
Picture above (head): The BGIL team celebrates their designation as a Blue Community.
Picture down: Uyo Iban (Women Voices) Amplifier Initiative (UIAI)
