Akinwale Akintunde
A Non-governmental Organisation, Daniel Ogechi Akujobi Memorial Foundation (DOFAM), in collaboration with ExxonMobil, has donated a sickbay to Kuramo Secondary School, Lagos.
The gesture was part of the foundation’s ‘Health is Wealth’ project, aimed at providing reliable heath care services to students in Victoria Island group of Schools.
The Chief Medical Director of ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Dr. Bello Aliyu, while handing over the sickbay, said the company has spent over N5 billion in supporting education in Nigeria.
Aliyu, who was represented by Dr. Babatunde Adekunle, a senior staff physician at ExxonMobil, said the company was involved in the provision of the sickbay because of its interest in the development of education and health, not just among student, but Nigeria as a whole.
He said the sickbay would provide first aid treatment for the students, before going to a proper hospital, as the facility does not replace a hospital or clinic.
Adekunle said through such projects, the company aims at increasing the availability of health care services across the country and improve the overall state of health of the nation. He said Esso supported the construction, equipping and provision of medical supplies to the sickbay through the foundation.
He advised the students and teachers of the school to make the best of the sickbay, as the company expects that it would be maintained and maximally utilised for the benefit of all. “Through this sickbay, we hope to keep the secondary school students healthy so that they can continue to actively pursue their studies unimpeded.”
In his remarks, a member of the foundation’s board of trustees, Sir Nnamdi Oyeka, said 57,000 lives have been transformed through the NGO’s programmes. He said the foundation, which is aimed at enhancing the education and health of the less privileged in the society, particularly the vulnerable children, was established in 2007 and has awarded scholarships to a number of vulnerable, but intelligent students in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“DOAMF has also undertaken various life-improving programmes which include de-worming of children, mentorship, educational, nutritional and psycho-social support to children and youths. The NGO has built libraries in various schools and sponsored free medical check-ups and free medical supplies as well as sickbay projects in some states of Nigeria.”
According to him the sickbay project is aimed at addressing health issues in public schools, adding that the provision of sickbays in public schools has now become an important aspect of the foundation.
