The Ogun State government has expressed profound gratitude to Nestle Nigeria Plc for its substantial contributions towards enhancing the infrastructure and educational experiences in state-owned primary schools across several local governments.
Femi Majekodunmi, Chairman of the State’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), delivered this commendation during the grand finale and award ceremony of the Nestle for Healthier Kids’ inter-school quiz competition, held in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Oke-Ona United Primary School, Elega, from Abeokuta North LG area, clinched the top prize at the event.
The quiz competition, now in its fifth edition, awarded the second, third, and fourth positions to St. Peter’s Primary School, Siun in Obafemi Owode LG area; China Nigeria Primary School, Igbesa; and Sokoya Memorial School, Sagamu, respectively.
Majekodunmi highlighted several key infrastructural supports provided by Nestle, including the construction of new classroom blocks, modern toilets, boreholes, water tanks, furniture, desktop computers, movable basketball posts and kits, cooking gas stoves, school bags, and water bottles, as well as the renovation of existing classrooms.
Additionally, the company has provided learning materials, capacity training for teachers, football fields, jerseys, and teachers’ awards.
“These interventions have significantly enhanced the teaching and learning environment in over 20 schools across Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode, Sagamu, and Ado-Odo Ota local government areas,” noted Majekodunmi.
Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communication, Public Affairs, and Sustainability Lead at Nestle Nigeria, remarked that the company’s interventions stem from the belief that private sector support is crucial for the government to deliver quality education.
She emphasized that accessible, quality education can lift children out of poverty and ignorance, fostering economic prosperity for families and society at large.
“The focus of the Nestle Healthier Kids’ quiz competition is rooted in the conviction that a healthy child performs better academically and is more productive overall,” Uwadoka explained. “Healthy children are better equipped to take on future leadership roles and lead long, quality lives.”
Looking ahead, Uwadoka disclosed that Nestle plans to extend its infrastructural and learning material support to more schools and expand the annual quiz competition to an interstate level, beginning with Ogun, Lagos, and the FCT. She also urged state governments to incorporate nutritional education into their basic school curricula, using Nestle’s quiz competition as a model.
The event culminated in an awards ceremony, where the top prize co-winners, Saidat Oguntade and Daniel Makinde, both 11 years old and in primary five, received certificates of excellence, school bags, and additional items. Their school was awarded basketball courts, jerseys, desktop computers, and table tennis courts. The second and third prize winners also received commendable rewards.
Nestle’s continued commitment to supporting education in Ogun State and beyond highlights the vital role of corporate social responsibility in fostering educational development and holistic student welfare.
