Quality child education equips young members of a society with the foundational knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become fully functional and productive individuals with requisite abilities and competencies to make them better off.
This in turn shields them from poverty, exploitation and disease, which is fundamental to the quality of the human resource required to deliver products and services to the community.
In Nigeria, government funded schools are losing grounds because of poor funding leaving children from poor homes on the streets. According to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), no fewer than 10.5 million Nigerian children are out of school.
In response to this clarion call, Airtel Nigeria, a telecommunication titan has since 2011 made it a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment to improve the standard of education in the country and to also appeal and encourage more students to go back to school through its Adopt-A-School initiative.
Since the inauguration of the project, Airtel has adopted five primary schools spread across Nigeria, namely Oremeji Primary School II, Ajegunle, Lagos; St. John’s Primary School, Oke-Agbo, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo; Iyeru Okin Primary School, Ilara-Mokin, Kwara and Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross River State.
On September 27, the company announced the adoption and commissioning of Yahaya Hamza LEA Primary School, Zaria, Kaduna State. This adoption follows the recent announcement of the United Nations report that 60 percent of Nigerian children who are not attending school live in the north of the country.
“Over the years, Airtel has brought notable transformation to these schools by providing ultra-modern blocks of classrooms, borehole for portable water, classroom furniture and also donating items such as uniforms, bags and educational materials like books, textbooks and pens on a yearly basis. It is a complete package. Not a one- year wonder but a continuing partnership” said Segun Ogunsanya, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria.
“We believe good education is a human right. It is a ticket to prosperity. It creates a level field for everyone to succeed. In recognition of the role education plays in the development of a community, Airtel Nigeria has decided, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility vision, to adopt Yahaya Hamza Primary School in Zaria, Ogunsanya added.
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Executive Governor of Kaduna State, led the commissioning event and commended Airtel Nigeria for its role in the development of primary education across the country.
El-Rufai said “with Airtel’s intervention, the new Yahaya Hamza Primary School has been transformed, complete with six blocks, 12 classrooms, desk and chairs, teachers’ offices, white boards, borehole facilities and toilets for male and female students as well as teachers. Students, today, also got complete set of uniforms, bags and books.
“I urge other stakeholders in Corporate Nigeria to emulate Airtel by partnering with the Kaduna State government in supporting educational initiatives.”
The governor also expressed delight at Airtel’s choice of Yahaya Hamza primary school, noting that it signifies the preservation of the legacies of a great man, a teacher, a role model, a leader and an inspiration, Yahaya Hamza.
Airtel’s intervention aligns with Kaduna State’s goal of developing primary, secondary and tertiary education. “Kaduna State Government thanks Airtel for offering its widow’s mite and contributions in our quest to revamp education in the State,” El-Rufai said.
STEPHEN ONYEKWELU
