EY strengthens human capacity development

In keeping faith with its purpose to build a better working world, Ernst and Young Nigeria, (EY) has looked beyond profitability as an organisation to building human capacity development especially in the area of education as it recently donated several learning facilities, equipment and materials to a school for the blind, an orphanage home and a government school.
Henry Egbiki, managing partner of Ernst and Young, while speaking during the donation of these facilities, said that the gesture goes beyond profitability as the company sees it as a higher calling of their existence to build a better working world.
Egbiki disclosed that EY wants to ensure that it supports communities and build leaders, having in mind that when businesses and government work well, the world and the economy will work well, but when businesses fail the economy also fails.
According to him, “The global challenge we have today is because businesses are failing and this results to poverty and economic hardship. For us, as we support government and organisations build capacity, ensure that the financial management system in government are moving on well and issue of corruption dealt with, then we will continue to build a better working world.”
He observes that beyond this, as an organisation, they are out to make direct impact on the lives of the community members which is in line with what they have done.
“Education has continued to be a big issue and one of the challenges that we have is human capital development. So, if we support education, we support economic development. The more educated people are, the more prosperous they are,” he reiterated.
Olayinka Oladunjoye, commissioner for education, Lagos State, who was represented by Joke Oshikoya, assistant chief education officer, basic education services, department of ministry of education, expressed her gratitude to EY Nigeria for its kind gesture in donating the facilities and equipment.
She noted that the laboratories in the school have been given a new lease of life, adding that by the time the students start using the laboratories, it would make them more knowledgeable and enhance their understanding of the subjects.
“My advice to other organisations is that they should emulate what EY has done, so that they can also be involved in the development of the country,” she concluded.
Ogie Eboigbe, chairman, Anglo Nigeria Welfare Association for the Blind, ANWAB during his remarks said ANWAB is a Non Governmental Association and they try to raise funds to provide all the services for the blind students all over Nigeria.
Eboigbe explained that the organisation helps in the provision of books and braille machines; teaches blind people how to use the computer and to work on their own; and ANWAB depends on support and funding from well meaning organisations, including individuals both in Nigeria and abroad.
“As we have come down the line, funding has become more and more difficult. EY heard about us and the kind of services we provide in making life easier for blind students. That is why they are here today and we are glad to have them.
“We also hope other corporate organisations will look at the environment and support genuine NGOs that are there to ensure life is a better place for the less privileged just as EY Nigeria has done,” he said.
The company donated a braille machine, desktop computer system, Laser Jet Printer, a UPS and amongst other facilities to the Anglo-Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind, ANWAB, to aid their learning. The Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories of Eko Akete Senior Grammar School were fully equipped with laboratory facilities and a lot of food items and materials were given to Babs Es Salaam Orphanage home.