CWAY Celebrates World Water Day 2026 with National Essay Competition and Multi-State Activations
In line with its corporate social responsibility, CWAY Water, Nigeria’s leading producer of premium drinking water, commemorated World Water Day 2026 through a series of nationwide activations in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu. The events underscore CWAY’s ongoing dedication to water advocacy, youth empowerment, and community development across Nigeria.
The highlight of the celebration was the grand finale of the national essay competition held at CWAY’s corporate headquarters in Isolo, Lagos. The event drew students, educators, journalists, and key stakeholders into meaningful discussions on this year’s United Nations-designated theme: *“Water and Gender.”*
In his opening speech, CWAY Water’s Group Marketing Head, Samuel Akinrimisi, set the tone by emphasizing the brand’s long-standing commitment to social impact. He stated, “For us, water is everything. We believe strongly that accessibility to safe, drinkable water is essential to protecting and promoting all genders equally. It is not about male or female, it is about equal responsibility and opportunity.”
Charles Ojo, the company’s Deputy General Manager for Sales Operations, reinforced this message by highlighting CWAY Water’s extensive national presence—its production capacity, distribution network, and refill stations—as evidence of its active role in improving water access. He also underscored the significant employment the company creates directly and indirectly, positioning CWAY Water as a vital corporate anchor in Nigerian communities.
The theme, adopted by the UN to spotlight the disproportionate burden borne by women and girls in the global water crisis and to advocate for greater gender equity in water governance, was reflected in the essays and presentations of six outstanding secondary school students from Lagos and Ogun States who made it to the final round.
Targeting students in Senior Secondary School classes SS1 to SS3, the competition was launched ahead of World Water Day, encouraging young Nigerians to critically explore the intersection of water access and gender equality. Submissions were received from schools across Lagos and Ogun, closing on Sunday, March 22, coinciding with the global observance.
From hundreds of entries, six finalists were selected for the final competition: Melody Iboma (Solid Ultimate Academy, Lagos), Fadare Oluwaseunfunmi (FAS Comprehensive College, Ogun), Oluremi Temidayo Mercy (Coriander Secondary School, Lagos), Emeka Vanessa Victory (Mighty Pillars School, Lagos), Richard Oghagaoghene Eterigbo (St. Margaret Comprehensive College, Lagos), and Oniga Ayomikun (Dee Royale Montessori School, Lagos).
Each finalist was evaluated by a distinguished four-member judging panel based on the quality of their written essays—considering relevance, argument, structure, and language—and their oral presentation skills, including delivery, audience engagement, timing, composure, and overall presentation.
The panel consisted of Daniel Obi (Chairman, Brand Journalist Association of Nigeria), Associate Professor Roland Efe Uwadiae (Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos), Mrs. Angela Alisigwe Ifeanyi (HR Manager, CWAY), and Ntia Usukuma (Editor, Brand Communicator magazine).
At the conclusion of the competition, Fadare Oluwaseunfunmi was declared the winner, receiving ₦300,000 in cash and a premium CWAY water dispenser. Emeka Vanessa Victory secured second place with ₦200,000 and 25 packs of CWAY bottled water, while Oluremi Temidayo Mercy took third place with ₦100,000 and 20 packs of bottled water. The other finalists—Richard Oghagaoghene Eterigbo, Melody Iboma, and Oniga Ayomikun—also received cash prizes and CWAY water packs as consolation awards.
A key feature of the event was the keynote address delivered by Associate Professor Roland Efe Uwadiae, a renowned marine scientist returning to CWAY’s World Water Day platform for the second year. Drawing from decades of research on Nigeria’s water systems, Professor Uwadiae posed a critical question: in a country as water-rich as Nigeria, how is it that millions of women and girls still start their days fetching water?
While Lagos hosted the flagship event, CWAY’s World Water Day 2026 celebrations extended to Enugu and Abuja.
In Enugu, CWAY Water brought the commemoration directly to Ogbete Market, the commercial hub of the South-East. The CWAY team distributed free, chilled bottles of water to traders, shoppers, food vendors, and market workers who had been on their feet since before sunrise.
In Abuja, the company organized a large-scale awareness walk through various neighborhoods, spreading the message of water conservation and gender equality across the city.