Firm restates commitment to boost education development

A global leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, BIC has reaffirmed its commitment to contribute substantially to the development of education in Nigeria.

The company in this regard has come up with several initiatives in education to lend its support to the education of Nigeria’s children who are in primary and secondary schools especially in the underserved communities.

The gesture is part of the general plans under the BIC International social responsibility initiatives to reach out to no fewer than 250 million students and teachers across the globe including those from Nigeria by 2025.

Out of the total target, up to 200 million children have already been impacted globally according to the company even as it is making effort to reach the target within the next two years.

The General Manager of BIC Nigeria, Mr. Anthony Amahwe, announced this plan at an event to commemorate the company’s 2024 global education week in Lagos, recently.

According to him, the effort is aimed at improving the learning outcomes of students most of whom from indigent homes including those with special needs.

Amahwe disclosed that aside the general donations and infrastructural renovations, the company has also selected some schools whose students are in serious need of support as its long-term partners to drive the project.

He listed some of them to include Let It Shine Academy, which is a tuition-free school in Yaba area of Lagos, Morit International School in Ajegunle, and the Local Government Nursery and Primary School (an inclusive unit), in Igando, among others.

The company donated some writing and learning materials including biro to students of those schools last week and also hosted hundreds of teachers at a virtual workshop that focused on inclusive learning.

The theme of the workshop was “Fostering Inclusive Classrooms: Strategies for Empowering Every Learner’ while some multiple-award winning teachers including Olasunkanmi Opeifa, who is the 2020 Global Teacher Prize finalist; Oluwaseun Kayode (founder of Schoolinka and Michael Showunmi(founder of Raising Star Africa) as resource persons.

Amahwe noted that all these efforts are deeply rooted in the company’s vision to use education to build a future where learning is not only inclusive and accessible to all but also sustainable, particularly across communities where the company operates.

While describing education as the foundation for societal transformation, he declared “This is the basis upon which BIC is committed to providing a friendly environment and equipping young people with requisite knowledge and skills that will help them to thrive and become responsible citizens.

“We believe that there is no investment in education that is too much more so that government cannot solely fund education because the sector is huge and considered to be the mother of all sectors.”

Amahwe who disclosed that the company had reached out to about 15,000 students this year alone nationwide, re-emphasised that the company will not relent on the journey.

In their separate remarks, the duo of Messrs Patrick Mbamarah from Imorit Int’l School, Ajegunle and Temitayo Farinade, principal of Let It Shine Academy, commended BIC Nigeria for reaching out to their students and teachers, especially at this critical time of Nigeria’s economy when costs of educational materials soar by the day.

They told Tribune Online that the items donated to the students and the new knowledge gained by their teachers would greatly boost their performance in class and also the country’s education sector by extension

They urged other corporate organizations in the country to emulate the gesture and help students who are in need in the society.

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