Dufil Prima Foods Plc, producers of top noodles brand, Indomie Instant Noodles, under the auspices of its Children Fan Club is hosting about 100,000 children in celebration of this year’s children’s day.
The children which are drawn from across the six geographical regions of the country are to assemble at different locations across Lagos, Abuja, Akure, Abeokuta Ibadan and Benin among other places where special treatment would be given the children.
Bolanle Ambode, wife of the Lagos State Governor, who was represented by Adeola Rotinwa, while speaking at the event, as the the Special Guest of the occasion, applauded Dufil Prima Foods for their commitment in consistently organizing this annual event for the Nigeria Children.
“We appreciate your children-friendly disposition over these years. It is heart warming to note that you have been celebrating this special day with the children for over twenty years. Your organisation has been such a wonderful corporate citizen, playing great roles in lifting the society and reducing unemployment among our youths”, she said.
She also used the opportunity to educate the children on the need to be morally upright at all times by encouraging them to respect elders and take their academics seriously.
“Always remember that you must grow up to be good children. Obey your parents and teachers and read your books always”, she added.
Tope Ashiwaju, Group Head, PR and Events, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, said they have consistently made this day a memorable one for children across different regions because of the tight schedule of most parents who might not be opportune to make the day a special one for them.
“We are celebrating the Nigerian children. It’s a way of associating with them and aligning our thoughts and policies of the company with the children because we know that apart from the fact that they fall into our target group, it’s a way of warming up to the children because we know most parents in Nigeria have been so much busy to take them out. ”, he said.
As a brand that is determined to put smiles on the faces of children, Ashiwaju said they have plans to extend the love to children in orphanage homes and replicate what they have done for the privileged children there as well.
“The kids we have here today are people who can come out through their parents or school platform to have fun with us. There are other kids who would love to be here but are not fortunate. So, we would be visiting orphanage homes in 16 cities to celebrate with them. The same thing that is happening here today is what we will take to those orphanage homes and we would share with them”
While outlining other activities geared towards supporting the children, Ashiwaju called on the government to partner with them to ensure a better life for the Nigerian child.
“We provide a bowl of Indomie a day for at least 8million children, provide equipment for the children, walk through their PTA and support their prize giving day.
“We know that over the years, the school feeding programme is one of the avenues that increase school attendance most especially up North and if you go to public schools, you find out that any day there’s going to be school feeding programme, the number of attendance would go up. So, it’s a way of saying to the government that we believe in this project. We have been doing it and its time for us to partner with them since its part of what the government has also promised the Nigerian children”, he said.
On what is different about this year’s celebration, Faith Joshua, National Coordinator of Indomie Fan Club says,” There is an ongoing competition that we asked our kids to create something unique with our waste products; it can be our empty cartoon or wrappers. We don’t want them to just enjoy their lovely Indomie but they should also do something out of the waste.
CHINWE AGBEZE
