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Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell milk emerged one of the top winners of the Lagos State Government Support Our Schools Initiative Corporate Social Responsibility Award for 2014.
The award ceremony which was part of the Support Our Schools Initiative’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility Award/Breakfast Meeting with the Governor; held under the watchful eyes of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the Executive Governor of Lagos State.
The award was given to Promasidor Nigeria Limited in recognition of the company’s contribution to the Lagos State Government Ministry of Education Support Our Schools Initiative project for promoting teaching and learning of Mathematics in Lagos State through Mathematics competition in all public senior secondary schools in the state.
Presenting the Award to recipients, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola thanked the awardees for their contribution to the Initiative. Governor Fashola added that the recipients, whether individuals, corporate organisations or associations have proved themselves to be socially responsible citizens and bodies worthy of the honour they are getting from the government and good people of Lagos State.
“I salute you all for your sterling contribution to improving lives and giving life meaning in Lagos State. I salute you for taking on the challenge of helping the government to bear the enormous task on its shoulder. You have contributed to improving standards of education in this state,” he said.
Governor Fashola expressed that the burden governments across the country is bearing over schools are more or less self induced, “In those days, schools were run by Christian or Muslim missionaries. Government’s role then was limited to regulating the industry and conducting examinations and ensuring enabling environment for education to thrive. Somehow, some people in thought government should go the whole yard. Here we are, the venture became a titanic challenge weighing every government down. Today, Lagos State Government has over 600 secondary schools and over 1000 primary schools it caters for. It is in this light that we appreciate your contributions and assistance in facing this titanic challenge. You all have immensely contributed to the advancement of education in Lagos State. On behalf of the government and good people of Lagos State, I thank you for your support we will continue to appreciate your contributions as you continue to support this Initiative in the years ahead.”
Earlier, while welcoming participants to the occasion, Honorable Comissioner for Education, Lagos State Mrs. Oladunjoye expressed satisfaction with the growing number of support the Initiative continue to get from the corporate community. “Your contributions are immense, and it shows in the results we have to report to you today. As more and more corporate bodies continue to come on board to support this Initiative, we appreciate every one that has identified with and supported this dream,” she said.
In her presentation titled, “Lifting Learning Levels in Lagos State Public Schools”, the Special Adviser to the Governor on EKO Project, Mrs. Ronke Azeez took the audience through the values inherent in the level of support and assistance that the Support Our Schools Initiative has received from donors since the project was launched about five years ago.
She identified the most important impact being the direct funding to schools policy that the project has given birth to. “Since we started funding the schools directly, the policy has removed a lot of clog that has been hampering our educational system. Now principals can do a lot of things and solve a lot of problems directly as they affect their schools without having to go through the bureaucracy of passing everything through the Ministry of Education. We have successfully decentralised the school funding system and this has positively impacted on the performance of students and improved quality at all levels in our schools,” she said.
Mr. Isaka Lawal received the award on behalf of Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
