Oluchi Chibuzor
The alumni of the Senior Management Programme (SMP) class 48 of the Lagos Business School, have revealed that they adopted five students who are studying in Nigerian university.
In line with this, the group donated 3,000 exercise books to three schools in Wasimi, Maryland, Lagos.
This donation, according to the group was aimed at reducing the number of out-of- school in the state and improve the quality of education.
The schools are Community Primary School; Community Junior High School; and Community Senior High School.
Speaking at the donation exercise, the President, LBS SMP Class 48, Mr. Ayeni Sunday, said the gesture was to put smiles on the faces of children regardless of their parents’ financial status.
He said aside the books; the alumni had taken up the educational expenses of some pupils from Dustbin Village, Ajegunle, from primary school to university and with the prospect of securing job opportunities for them.
“This is part of our yearning because a student you pick up from primary school through the university will not forget you. We do not intend to leave them after school; we will ensure they have jobs for those in university and those still in secondary school we have empowered them with a vocational skill.”
He said the group seeing the need for quality education, its diverse background and quest for knowledge in life, agreed to change the narrative within Nigeria’s education system.
“Year in year out we always want to do one thing or the other as part of our community social responsibility to put smile on people’s faces because our major focus is for students to value education. It is education that brought all of us together. Some of us are captain of industry, key leaders in their offices.
“Our first strategy was to adopt a school in Dustbin Village in Ajegunle; we went there and visited a school, we saw their challenges. We sunk boreholes and adopted five pupils to university which we are still sponsoring them now in university.
“According to the school they are brilliant pupils and they were less privilege with no financial support from their parents, we took it upon ourselves to take up their bills and they are now in university,” he said.
On her part, a member of the group, Kaka Onuora appeal to other well-meaning Nigerians to adopt a school. “I want to appeal well-meaning Nigerians in Lagos State who know the value of education and passed through schools that had structures, facilities, and were conducive for learning, to come and adopt one school and make a difference in our society,” she said.
Meanwhile, the beneficiaries acknowledged the impact of the exercise books, as their school management appreciated the group and called on other corporate organisations to help in building STEM labs.
