In a bid to address the challenge of mass failure in mathematics and other core sciences, Lafarge Africa, a giant cement manufacturing company, is organising a Mathematics masterclass for students of Senior Secondary School 3 in both public and private schools in host communities of Ewekoro and Sagamu, in Ogun State.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, disclosed this while speaking at separate events held in Sagamu and Ewekoro, last weekend, said the Mathematics Masterclass would not be a one-off project.
Alade-Akinyemi represented by the Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Oluyemi Bakare, said the focus of the company was on Mathematics, saying Lafarge is investing in the subject to help students in furthering their educational pursuits.
He said, “Today marks the beginning of an impactful journey that will shape the future of many young minds here in Sagamu and Ewekoro and beyond. Lafarge has always been dedicated to not only infrastructure development but also the educational growth of the communities in which we operate.
“Our commitment is to create a lasting impact in the lives of students in our host communities, starting here in Sagamu and Ewekoro. We believe that every child deserves access to quality education and the resources needed for success.
“With this in mind, we are excited to launch our Mathematics Intervention Programme in partnership with the Ogun State Ministry of Education. This initiative is designed to empower students, support their preparation for WAEC exams, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
“Our goal is not just to donate textbooks or conduct one-time events but to create sustainable value for the community. This year, the programme will kick off in Sagamu, followed by Ewekoro. Next year, we will expand our focus to our communities in Ashaka (Gombe) and Mfamosing (Calabar).
“We believe that Education is the bedrock of any society, if you want any society to develop you must invest in educating the young ones so they be better for themselves and be able to bring a better future for the community. That is why we are focusing on the communities where we are operating, we have been doing and we keep doing it.
“Mathematics is one fundamental subject that unites humanity and sciences that is why we are investing in to help the students in that aspect, so what we have done is to support a publication put together by an experienced Tutor Engr. Obinaike this is a book that has a compilation of WAEC past questions from 1998-2024, and he is also taking them in the masterclass.
“The books contained questions and answers so we have produced 2,000 copies of the book to distribute to students in Sagamu and Ewekoro, we expect to see improvement in students in mathematics, especially in WAEC because we have carried out our needs assessment and we have seen that that Area is deficient, that is why we are starting with mathematics.”
Olaonipekun Kazeem, Founder and CEO of Focus Teens Foundation, a consultant to Lafarge Africa PLC on the Mathematics Masterclass Project, said that the intention was to ensure that SSS 3 students excel in Mathematics and other core Science subjects ahead of WAEC, NECO and JAMB Examinations.
Dora Efunshile, Zonal Education Officer for Sagamu, who spoke on behalf of Ogun State for Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, commended Lafarge Africa PLC for supporting such a laudable initiative, asking for more partnership in the area of educational development.
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