Ogun-Guadong FTZ Donates N8.8m Food, Academic Materials To 700 Indigent Students
The China Africa Investment, the Management Company of the Ogun Guadong Free Trade Zone, OGFTZ, in collaboration with the Chinese consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, has donated food and academic materials to over 700 indigent students of China Nigeria Friendship Model School, located in Igbesa, Ogun State.
The event which took place on Thursday at the school premises was graced by Mr. Jin Mingyu, Deputy Consul General of China, who said the CSR project is an expression of the commitment of the Chinese government in deepening relationship with Nigeria, stressing that the CSR programme is part of the 'Fighting Hunger Campaign' initiative, aimed at improving students' nutrition, promote educational equity, and support the development of vulnerable children in the receiving community.
Each of the pupils were given packs, containing; milk, noodles, cooking oil, rice, exercise books, writing materials, school bags and other items worth over N8m, sparking excitement and a flurry of appreciation from the students and Community at large.
Mr. Jin Mingyu, Deputy Consul General of China in Lagos, Director Xu of the Consulate, Zhao Fangyu, Executive President of the Cooperation Zone Management Company, Liu Zhigang, Deputy General Manager, representatives of the Ogun State Education Department, traditional leaders of Igbesaland Province, as well as school officials and representatives of teachers and students attended the event.
In his speech, Jin Mingyu, Deputy Consul General stressed that education is the cornerstone of national prosperity and development, asking that China and Nigeria should continue to deepen educational cooperation to meet the needs of community development.
He said: "Education is the cornerstone of social progress, and no child should lose the opportunity to receive education due to lack of resources. This donation activity reflects our continued attention to China-Nigeria cultural cooperation and our sincere commitment to the host community of the Ogun State Free Trade Zone."
Liu Zhigang, Deputy General Manager of the cooperation zone, pointed out in his speech that while promoting economic development, the free trade zone has always been mindful of fulfilling its social responsibilities and actively engaged in public services such as education, medical care, and employment.
He said: "In OGFTZ, we always regard education as the key to sustainable development of the community. From improving the sound systems of public primary and secondary schools, hosting the first inter-school intelligence competition, to organizing the Children's Day football match, we are committed to creating a good growth environment for young people.
"Today's donation activity is another manifestation of our joint investment in the future of children and our joint efforts to build a better community."
During the event, students from the China-Nigeria Friendship Primary School sang songs such as "Listen to Me Say Thank You" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in Chinese, and expressed their gratitude to China and the cooperation zone in fluent Mandarin, showing the fruitful results of cultural exchanges between China and Nepal.
The children's confident and generous performance and warm and innocent smiles left a deep impression on the guests present and also injected a vivid footnote to the friendly relations between China and Nigeria.
In his speech, Oba Abdulazeez Akinde, Oloja Ekun of Igbesaland, highly appreciated the long-term and firm support of the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos and the Cooperation Zone for the development of community education.
"This is an admirable move that brings joy and hope to our children. I encourage parents and guardians to put education first because education has the powerful power to change the community and the country. On behalf of the entire Igbesa community, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to China." He said.
Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, also spoke through his representative, Ms. Adedotun Ogunleye, the Regional Education Officer, praising the consulate and the Free Trade Zone for their thoughtful arrangements and continued contributions.
Stating; "We sincerely thank China for this meaningful donation. The state government encourages partnerships with the private sector to promote the overall development of the education system in Ogun State."
Comrade Moshood Akeem Oladele, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government also attended the event and called the initiative "unique" while praising the many corporate social responsibility initiatives implemented by China in the region.
He particularly mentioned that China had previously assisted in the construction of one of the best primary schools in the area and continued to provide educational support to many schools, while requesting humbly that kind gestures of the company being enjoyed by the Igbesa Community be extended to other schools and Communities in the Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government Area and to the teachers too.
This donation not only demonstrated the deep concern of the Chinese government and enterprises for Nigeria's education, but deepens the friendship and cooperation between China and Nigeria, reflecting the positive actions of Chinese enterprises in fulfilling their social responsibilities and promoting people-to-people exchanges in Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment