By Bianca Iboma
Recently, this year’s edition of Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition, which is sponsored annually by Promasidor Nigeria, was brought to an exciting conclusion. Juliet Ekoko and Ayooluwa Oguntade, both of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State, won in the Junior and Senior categories, respectively. The winners got N1 million each and an all-expense paid education excursion outside the country.
Since the conclusion of the event, many students and parents have commended the initiative. Parents, students, teachers and other stakeholders have also called on government and other corporate citizens to emulate the initiative.
Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO), Professor Charles Uwakwe, commended Promasidor for the Cowbellpedia initiative, noting that the project had stimulated the interest of students in Mathematics. The scholar pledged NECO’s continued support for the project in appreciation of what he described as Promasidor’s great corporate social responsibility (CSR) inititive to Nigeria.
In view of this, on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell milk, would be honoured in Lagos. At the Gala Awards Dinner of the Lagos State chapter, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), scheduled for the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the company will be garlanded as the Best Company in Education in Nigeria.
The event is part of activities marking the 26th AGM/PR Week of the Lagos State chapter of the NIPR. The institute said the awards dinner was to recognise and reward individuals and corporate organisations that have invested in CSR initiatives as well as to encourage such projects.
Last month, Promasidor was named winner of the Sustainability Enterprise and Responsibility Award (SERA) for being the best company in education in Nigeria. Last year, it was one of the winners of the Support Our Schools Initiative Corporate Social Responsibility Award organised by the Lagos State Government.
Promasidor won the award for its contribution to the Lagos Ministry of Education’s Support Our Schools Initiative for the promotion of Mathematics through a Mathematics competition in all public senior secondary schools in the state.
Earlier in 2014, Promasidor had also been honoured by the monarch and people of Isolo kingdom in Lagos State. The Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Kolawole Agbabiaka, and his Council of Chiefs named Promasidor the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Performing Company of the Year 2014.
Presenting the award, Oba Agbabiaka described Promasidor as a pacesetter for others to follow in terms of CSR, adding that the community had been witnessing the positive impact of the company in the areas of education, infrastructure, health and economic empowerment, among others.
“In terms of infrastructure development and general support to the entire community, Promasidor has carved out a niche for itself. This would be difficult for anybody to match,” the royal father said.
Immediate past chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Alhaji Samsudeen Abiodun Olaleye, also lauded Promasidor’s CRS initiatives in the LCDA. “Promasidor, what you have done to Isolo community has no parallel. At the company, they are always talking about issues that will bring real development to the residents of the community,” the former council boss noted.
The company had also donated a borehole and water treatment plant to Isolo community, just as it had done many other projects in the areas of health, solar powered streetlights and security.
Speaking on the water project, Oba Agbabiaka said it was a most thoughtful and generous corporate act, adding that the company was the only positive corporate voice being heard in the Isolo kingdom. The monarch said Promasidor has demonstrated unprecedented corporate concern by providing the community with a multi-million naira borehole and water treatment plant.
“The company has donated health equipment to the general hospital in Isolo; they provided streetlights and a bus stop at Cowbell Way, Isolo, and, every year, they give scholarships to bright students from the community, among others.
“l watched some episodes of the just-concluded Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition on television. The company has, through this programme, assisted the students financially. The company assisted their parents and their schools. How many companies do that? These things cost them millions of naira. They are really trying,” the Oba said.
He noted that people living or doing business in Isolo were grateful to Promasidor.: “Most of our students are allowed to undertake their internship at the company. Our people are being employed as skilled and unskilled workers. This is a morale booster to members of the community. They have done a lot for people of this community.”
At the grand finale of the 2016 Summer Camp of the Cowbell Football Academy, an initiative of Promasidor Nigeria, many students, sport lovers and stakeholders applauded the company for the outing.
The three-week summer camp, organised especially for pupils on long vacation, was aimed at the total development of the Nigerian child through sports and extra-curricular activities.
Abiodun Ayodeji, Category Manager, Dairy, said as a socially-responsible corporate citizen, the company created the initiative with a view to building stronger bonds with communities.