Uche Usim, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu, has stated that the Federal Government is determination to improve Nigeria’s public education sector by deepening its partnership with the private sector.
Mr Adamu made this known in Abuja on Thursday while commissioning a block of six classrooms, with library and other conveniences, donated by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund to the Government Day Secondary School in Karu for producing the 2018 Maltina Teacher of the Year – Mr Opeifa Olasunkanmi.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister, his representative Mrs Lami Amodu, the Director, Basic and Secondary Education, The InfoSys Hub, said it was encouraging to note that apart from contributing one percent of its turnover to the government’s education trust fund as stipulated by law, Nigerian Breweries, through the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, has constructed and furnished over 400 classrooms, toilet facilities and over 30 libraries in various communities across the country.
“It has also granted scholarships to deserving students in tertiary institutions, among other initiatives in support of education,” the Minister’s statement read.
“The company has been at the forefront of improving the educational sector by continually investing in educational infrastructure, encouraging teachers and students and the cycle as a whole.
“With initiatives such as the Maltina Teacher of the Year and the various school intervention programmes, the story of the development of education in Nigeria cannot be complete without Nigerian Breweries.
“At a time when Nigeria is in desperate need for a turn-around of fortune, education occupies a strategic place in the change agenda of the current administration to bring about a positive turn of events for our dear country. As we are all aware, education is a key priority of Mr President’s agenda. It is in recognition of its importance towards the advancement of social, economic, cultural, political and technological development that the Federal Ministry of Education has made access to quality education its cardinal policy, to develop and enhance citizens’ skills and competencies.”
The statement added that the Federal Government remains committed to strengthening institutional structures and implementing innovative strategies aimed at revamping the education sector.
“Some of these include addressing the huge out-of-school population and strengthening basic and secondary education, teachers’ education and adult literacy and special needs’ education, as well as education data and planning, among others.”
Adamu called on other corporate organisations and individuals to emulate Nigerian Breweries and partner with the Federal Government to bring about the desired changes in the country’s educational system.
In his remarks, the managing director of NB Plc, Mr Jordi Borrut Bel, revealed that the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, set up in 1994, has helped over 35,000 students across the country, building over 400 classrooms and about 35 libraries equipped with furniture and books in both primary and secondary schools across 74 communities in Nigeria.
“Through the fund, we have also renovated and donated facilities and equipment to tertiary institutions around the nation as well as granted scholarships to deserving students in tertiary institutions. The fund recently made a donation of $1,000,000 to the Pan-Atlantic University for the construction of the University’s Faculty of Engineering & Technology complex at its Ibeju Lekki Campus in Lagos. The fund is also currently equipping the clinical laboratories of the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan. All these in a bid to improve educational standards in the country,” he said.
“Every year, each State Champion receives N500,000, while the second runners-up get N750,000, in addition to the N500,000 received as State Champions; and the first runners-up get N1,000,000, in addition to the N500,000 received as State Champions. Our Maltina Teacher of the Year receives one million naira yearly for five years,” Mr Bel said.