In line with its commitment to develop human capital in Nigeria, and improve literacy, Lafarge Africa Plc has launched a National Essay Competition for pupils in public primary and secondary schools in the country. This further affirms the company’s commitment to bridging the literacy gap in the country. The company explains in a statement that  the Lafarge Africa National Literacy Competition is aligned with five Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs). SDG one:No poverty, SDG four: – Quality Education, SDG five: Gender Equality, SDG 11: Reduced inequalities  and SDG 17: Partnership for the goals.

 The online essay competition themed “Building the Nigeria of my dreams”, will help improve literacy amongst young adults and also engender loyalty to the nation as they will write about their hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian nation they desire. The online essay competition aligns with reports that show that citizens do much better when they are literate as they become equipped to become better adults and even more successful in their careers.

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 The Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khaled El-Dokani, noted that the essay competition is a testament to the company’s commitment to contributing to the development of the Nigerian child through literacy. “We recognize that the depth and quality of a country’s human capital are as important as its physical infrastructure, hence, our investment over the last 7 years in enhancing the Nigerian educational sector just as we are committed to empowering Nigerians through our world class building solutions.’

“One of our key sustainability priorities at Lafarge Africa is our commitment to our communities through education and we are actively collaborating with the government and the private sector to improve the country’s literacy ratio towards making an impact in reducing the World Bank estimate which states that over 80 percent of Nigerian primary school-leavers cannot read”, said Khaled.