Kogi first lady inaugurates “back to school” for primary school

KOGI state first lady, Rashida Bello, on Thursday inaugurated an initiative aimed at encouraging enrolment in public primary school with distribution of school materials to pupils across the three senatorial districts of the state.

Inaugurating the project known as “Back to school” at the first primary school in Northern Nigeria, the Bishop Crowther Holy Trinity Primary School, established in 1865, the governor’s wife said the move was to further develop the education sector in the state.

According to her, the donation of the materials, which include school bags, exercise books, writing materials, lunch packs and mathematical sets for primary school children was an initiative of her pet project, the Kogi Women and Youth Advancement Foundation (KOWYAF).

Bello added that the move was to also complement the efforts of parents, especially the low income earners.

She explained that the distribution of the materials would also alleviate poverty among the people as money that would have been spent on such items.

She said, “Education is one of the major yardsticks for measuring development in any society and Governor Yahaya Bello has education as the first on the list of the five thematic areas of the New Direction Agenda blueprint because he recognizes education as the best legacy any state can give a child and the most important investment any state or country can make.

“Education is pertinent and has great social values in a modern and industrialised society like ours, as such, the Governor Bello’s drive for development in the education sector cannot be over emphasised. Access to qualitative basic education will enable our children to live fulfilled lives, achieve their dreams and contribute positively to the society at large.

“Through DROP, KOWYAF is poised to ensure that in kogi state, provisions like school bags, reading, writing materials and conducive learning environment are made available to our children, to motivate and encourage them to roll up their sleeves and burn the midnight candles so as to come out in bright colours at the end of their academic pursuit in other to put the knowledge acquired to good use in Kogi state and to move the state to a higher height”.

She however urged well-meaning people of the state to join hands to enhance delivery of qualitative basic education and complement the efforts of the present administration at repositioning the educational sector of the state.