Azura Power West Africa recently donated free educational materials to Oba Erediauwa Primary School, Iduonmwina, in Uhunmwode LGA in Edo. Adibe Emenyonu captures the mood of pupils and teachers of the school
The importance of education cannot be over-emphasised because it helps to develop the critical human elements of any society. It also plays a critical role in decision-making, mental agility, problem-solving and others.
A good education teaches skills, broadens students’ horizons, helps them gain a better perspective, and teaches them to think for themselves. People today are quite aware and comfortable speaking about social injustices and other pressing issues.
This can be attributed to the increased access to education in Nigeria and other places, which has made society more accepting and open-minded. Therefore, education is an element of human evolution. The importance of education is also pronounced in areas of creativity and innovation. It encourages thinking outside the box and experimenting with new ideas.
This may have motivated donating free education materials to Oba Erediauwa Primary School pupils, Iduonmwina, in the Uhunmwode local government area of Edo recently.
“This is because we, in Azura Power, recognise that education is key, and that is why we are very proud and happy to be part of these efforts by the state government to improve learning in school. We know that education is the bedrock of every development,” David Ekugum, Social Impact Manager, Azura Power West Africa, explained. “If you check all the advanced economies of the world, you will see that they place a high premium on education. So this is our own way of improving the lives of people in our host communities. We invest in the education of children in the communities we operate. That is why we are here at Oba Erediauwa Primary School Iduonmwina.”
Ekugum disclosed that as a responsible corporate body, the company has a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme called ‘Power to Change’, where it implements life-changing programmes across the country but more specifically to host communities.
“We are essentially in one of our primary areas, which is sustainable education, by presenting school materials to this primary school to enhance learning. We are handing over to them a set of school materials such as shoes, bags, notebooks, pencils, uniforms and biros to each pupil of the school,” Ekugum. “This is just one of the things we have done, especially in this facility. In the past, we have constructed a perimeter fence in the school and a block of six classrooms. And today, we have also donated a library with books.”
He added, “This is part of what we do to support the Edo state government in its efforts through the EdoBest programme to improve education in the state.”
Besides, speaking at the event, the Head of Plant Operations, Azura Power, maintained that the bid to have a cordial relationship with host communities also remained the motivating factor for the gesture.
According to him, Iduonmwina is one of our host communities. We have three of them. However, we have done a lot for them. As you can see, this other block of classrooms was actually built by Azura in 2019 and just last year. We did the fencing to secure the school’s human and material elements.
“We have also provided a water borehole for the community and the school, a fully furnished library with a generating set to power the borehole whenever there is a power failure in the regular power supply,” Iduonmwina stated. “Azura has a corporate policy, one of which is giving back to the host community, and that is what you are seeing here today.”
That notwithstanding, Imoekor noted that the company has also embarked on a skills acquisition programme where young girls and women were given vocational training in the area of fashion and design, adding that the school uniforms donated were the handiwork of those who passed out from the vocational training as another way of empowering people of the community.
“We have also embarked on vocational skills training for members of the community. The uniforms we are giving to each pupil of this school were also made by those trained as part of the company CSR to empower them,” Imoekor explained. “We are proud that they make this happen. We are proud to be part of this wonderful event. The event of today will also be replicated in the other two communities, Ihovbor and Ahor.”
In appreciation to Azura Power, the head teacher of Oba Erediauwa Primary School, Iduonmwina, Mrs Egbon Gladys, described the gesture as another milestone in the school’s history, established seven years ago.
First, she thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for his innovation in education, particularly for improving the learning environment and providing books, chairs and desks.
“Azura Power has deemed it right to consolidate on what the state government has done and is doing by giving us a water borehole, a bloom of six classrooms, a perimeter fencing of the school to improve the security of pupils and teachers during learning period and also to protect the school property after closure,” stated Gladys.
She added, “Look at all the pupils; how they are all smiling and radiation with joy. We appreciate all the gestures. Every resident of the community appreciates Azura Power.”
