Aduragbemi Omiyale
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Kurba Primary School in Yamaltu Deba LGA in Gombe State has been renovated by Stanbic IBTC Holdings, a member of Standard Bank Group.
The school was transformed by the financial institution under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative known as Adopt A School Programme.
This scheme was developed to improve the quality of education for children all over Nigeria by identifying, adopting and renovating public schools, thereby creating model learning centres for children.
The latest beneficiary of the programme, Kurba Primary School, was established in 1975. It currently has 400 pupils, who study under a below-the-par condition.
But things have changed with the intervention of Stanbic IBTC through its Adopt A School Programme as the facility is now wearing a new look, with the children happy to study in the new environment.
Stanbic IBTC renovated and rebuilt classrooms blocks, renovated the toilets and equipped the classrooms and teachers’ offices with furniture.
Trees were also planted in the school as part of the organisation’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 in Nigeria.
Pupils and staff of the Kurba Primary School were also granted access to training and learning opportunities as part of the benefits of the Adopt A School Programme.
At a ceremony to hand over the revamped school to the management, the Permanent Secretary in the Gombe State Ministry of Education, Mr Mohammed Galadima, thanked Stanbic IBTC Holdings for the adoption of Kurba Community Primary School and implored other organisations to emulate this.
On his part, the chief executive of Stanbic IBTC, Mr Demola Sogunle, said, “The adoption of Kurba Primary school falls under Stanbic IBTC’s Social, Environmental and Economic (SEE) impact areas of education, health, and financial inclusion.”
“It is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education for children by 2030,” he added.
“Stanbic IBTC believes every child should get educated in an environment conducive to learning. As a socially responsible organisation, we ensure that we contribute our quota to the development of individuals and institutions in all communities we operate in, which is why we are here today in Kurba Community,” he further said.
