The Ogun State Governnent has commended the Nestle Nigeria Plc for its various supports to the state-owned primary schools and students across some local governments, describing the efforts as massive.
The chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Femi Majekodunmi, gave the commendation at the final and award ceremony of this year’s Nestle for healthier kids’ inter-school quiz competition among primary school students in the state.
The final was held on Monday in Abeokuta, the state capital, with Oke-Ona United Primary School, Elega, in Abeokuta North LG area, emerged as winner.
The second, third and fourth prizes of the annual competition, which is the fifth in the series, went to St. Peter’s Primary School, Siun in Obafemi Owode LG area; China Nigeria Primary School, Igbesa and Sokoya Memmorial School, Sagamu, respectively.
The SUBEB boss highlighted some of the Nestle supports to include the construction of new blocks of classrooms, modern toilets, boreholes, provision of water tanks, furniture, desktop computers, movable basketball post and kits, cooking gas stoves, school bags and water bottles as well as clasrooms renovation.
The company has also supported some schools, teachers and students with learning materials, capacity trainings, football fields and jerseys, teachers’ awards, and so forth as applicable.
Majekodunmi disclosed that no fewer than 20 schools across Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode, Sagamu and Ado-Odo Ota local government areas benefitted from the interventions, adding that the supports are greatly enhancing both teaching and learning in those schools and the state at large.
He noted that the gesture is aligned with the state government agenda on basic education which is to ensure that no child in the state is left behind in accessing quality education, urging Nestle to do more.
Speaking on the annual healthier kids’ quiz competition,Majekodunmi commended Nestle for the initiative and congratulated the top three winners and all other participating students.
He said the competition benefits go beyond academic excellence.
In her remarks, the Corporate Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability Lead, Nestle Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Uwadoka, hinged the essence of the various interventions by the company to Ogun State-owned schools and those from few other states in the country including Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory on the premise that government needs private sector support.
She said the company strongly believes that only the quality education that is accessible to every child regardless of family backgrounds that can lift people out of poverty and ignorance and also bring about genuine economic prosperity to families and society.
She disclosed that the focus of the Nestle Healthier Kids’ quiz competition is beyond promotion of academic excellence.
According to her, we believe as a company that an healthy child will be more effective in class and other lawful activities and also perform better in their studies than an unhealthy peer.
“And when such is achieved, such child will be more productive and do well in their leadership roles in the future and also be able to live long and quality life,” she added.
Uwadoka disclosed that the company would not only reach out to more schools in terms of infrastructural and learning material supports from next year but also make the annual competition an inter-state and to begin with Ogun, Lagos and the FCT.
She, however, called on the various state governments to include nutritional education in their basic school curriculum, using the company quiz competition design as a template.
She congratulated the winners and all other participating students, saying their participations notwithstanding their positions in the end is a tastament that they are worthy ambassadors for their schools and parents.
She urged them to remain focused and committed to their studies and always obey the constituted authorities including their parents and teachers.
The high-point of the event was the award of prizes to representatives of winning schools.
While the star prize co-winners(Saidat Oguntade and Daniel Makinde, both 11- year and in Primary Five) recieved certificate of excellence, school bags and other items for themselves and basket ball courts and jerseys, desktop computers and table tennis courts for their school, second and third prize winners received lesser rewards.
Saidat and Daniel told Nigerian Tribune that though they did not know they would win the competition, they really prepared well for it.
They, however, thanked their teacher, Mrs Morufat Ogunleye, for dedicating her time and resources in coaching them.
They also thanked Nestle Nigeria for providing the platform, saying their involvement in the competition has greatly broaden their knowledge and understanding on the nutritional education.
They said they already seen the connection between the healthy living and academic excellence and would take the campaign to their school mates .
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