Foundation launches educational outreach, pays fees for 100 students in FCT

Zephyrgold Aid Foundation, an NGO, has commenced its first official outreach programme by donating learning materials and paying school charges for 100 students of Junior Secondary School, Kado-kuchi, in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).

Matilda Akure, the Admin Manager, Zephyrgold Foundation, while speaking during the event in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that the initiative was borne out of the company’s long-standing tradition of community support.

Akure said the foundation was a humanitarian arm of Zephyrgold International Limited, in existence for over 20 years.

“For over 20 years, Zephyrgold International has built structures across more than 30 states in Nigeria, but beyond physical infrastructure, we believe in building lives and communities.

“Having carried out several humanitarian initiatives in the past, donating to widows, orphanage homes and the underserved in the community, the Executive Chairman, Dr. Rowland Adewumi and his wife Mrs. Bukola Adewumi decided that there was a need to reach out to children as well, who indeed are the future of tomorrow, believing in their potential to shine brightly and to contribute meaningfully to our great nation but are left behind because of circumstance.

This vision gave birth to the Zephyrgold Foundation, which was officially established in May 2025,” Akure noted.

She further explained that the foundation was paying the school charges of 50 students in JSS2 and 50 in JSS3, in addition to donating hundreds of exercise books and biros.

Akure noted that the foundation’s long-term goal was to replicate this intervention across Nigeria.

“In the next five to 10 years, we hope to touch lives in at least 30 states, just as we have made our presence felt in infrastructure,” she added.

She added that the outreach highlighted the vision of Dr Rowland Adewumi, the Executive Chairman of Zephyrgold International and his wife, Mrs Bukola Adewumi, whose generosity inspired the creation of the foundation.

Speaking on behalf of the school. Mrs Roseline Enemali, Guidance Counselor and the school’s financial secretary, praised the gesture, describing it as “100% relief” for the beneficiaries and their families.

“Many of these children came from indigent backgrounds. By paying their school charges of ₦5,200 each and providing writing materials, the foundation has removed a huge burden from their parents,” she said.

On the modality of selecting the beneficiaries, she said the students were carefully selected among the most intelligent and the most vulnerable students in the school.

She further clarified that the payment covered exam-related levies, noting that while government funds teacher salaries through the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), parents were still required to pay minimal charges for exams and learning support.