By Dipo Olowookere
Teachers and pupils of LEA Primary School in Karon Magiji, Abuja could not hide their excitement when a newly built block of classrooms was recently handed over to them by the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited.
This is because the tastefully furnished classrooms will enable the pupils to learn in a decent environment and boost the morale of the teachers to impart quality knowledge on the children.
Before the foremost Consumer Packaged Goods company built the classrooms, pupils in the school have had to share a desk or write on their laps, making learning pretty difficult for them.
But with this gesture from the bottlers of Coca-Cola products in Nigeria, they will have the opportunity to enjoy quality education to the benefit of the community and the country at large.
Over the years, the Coke System in Nigeria, comprising NBC and The Coca-Cola Company, has continued to lead the charge in private sector contributions towards education and human capital development in Nigeria, doing so through a wide range of interventions, the Public Affairs and Communications Director at NBC, Mr Ekuma Eze, said.
He stated further that, “As a good corporate citizen, we also believe that a community’s level of development reflects the extent and quality of education of its people.
“This gesture underscores our commitment to supporting our communities and people to build a sustainable, secure, and rewarding future.”
“With Nigeria accounting for nearly 20 per cent of the total out-of-school children in the world, critical interventions in education, particularly by the private sector would be important to secure the future of the country’s children,” he added.
Speaking at the formal handover of the classrooms, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Abigael Eulus, said the pupils had been learning in overcrowded classrooms before now.
“We are very happy with the new classrooms. The children are a lot happier, and understandably so. Before now, many of them had to share a desk or write on their laps. This had made learning pretty difficult for them.
“So, you can understand why we are so happy with this support from NBC. God will bless NBC for this,” she enthused.
On his part, the District Head, Mr Yunusa Bako Abdullahi, thanked the company for the donation, noting that the community would continue to cherish the support.
“What NBC has done for LEA Primary school is very commendable, particularly because building a decent learning environment for our pupils had been a major challenge for us. We consider this a major investment in the future of our children, the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
Adedapo Adesanya