The unveiling of the new school uniforms and the donation of N10million to underprivileged children in Kaduna by Access Bank Plc were major highlights of the final day of the prestigious 2023 Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament which climaxed at the weekend.
The event ended in exciting triumphs for Access Bank and Abuja YBL polo teams as they emerged champions, winning the Charity Shield and Usman Dantata Cup respectively.
The Charity Shield began in 2003 as a platform to support local charity organisations in Kaduna. Since 2006, this humanitarian effort has been geared exclusively towards UNICEF intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.
In 2008, the Charity Shield received a major boost when Access Bank Group agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal, making the tournament one of the best-supported charity events in the history of Nigerian sports.
Income generated from these cooperatives is used to meet the needs of the children in their care, including providing healthcare and education supplies.
Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe who unveiled the newly designed uniforms and shoes for the pupils of the Access Bank Fifth Chukker Maraban Jos Primary School in Kaduna over the weekend, urge parents to make good use of the ultra modern educational facility targeted at removing millions of out-of-school children from the streets to give them a brighter future.
“I call on parents, particularly mothers to stop their children from street trading, begging and other exploitative vices in rural and urban areas across the state for their education in this school funded by the Charity Shield Polo partners,” Balarabe pleaded as the excited students danced to the admiration of dignitaries.
Access Bank Managing Director, Roosevelt Ogbonna, who promised the children more provision of amenities, said that “Access Bank’s sponsorship is a reflection of our commitment to enriching the lives of Nigerians and an acknowledgement of the impact the UNICEF Charity Shield initiative has had on the lives of the orphaned and vulnerable children in Kaduna State and its environment.”
The donation presented to UNICEF officials at the Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club in Kaduna was reaffirmation of Access Bank commitment to the promotion of education in the state and in support of UNICEF campaign against HIV/AIDS pandemic among Nigerian children.
“We have been working in Kaduna, in collaboration with Access Bank Group and Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Resort to elevate quality of lives. We need to do a lot more in support of these orphans and vulnerable children to enable them to look forward to a better tomorrow,” Dr. Gerrida Birukila, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Kaduna who received the donation stated.
The grand finale of the fund-raising charity polo was witnessed by a high-profile crowd that included governors, first class emirs, diplomats and thousands of polo buffs who cheered as the Access Bank team defeated Jos Malcomines team to win the Charity Shield.
Earlier, YBL team from Abuja had outpaced Katsina Max Air to clinch the Usman Dantata Cup.
Access Bank Team (2) and Kano Rumbu team had earlier won the Access Bank Cup and the UNICEF Cup respectively during the first stage of the prestigious event that was decided over ten days of intense polo extravaganza.
The Nigerian edition of the tournament is the first phase of the series of events to raise funds for the education and care of orphans and vulnerable children in rural communities in Kaduna State.
The final phase of the intervention effort will climax in the United Kingdom with the Access Bank Charity Shield Polo Day in London later in the year.
