Director – Lagos Businesses, Victor Ezenwoko and Regional Manager – Ikeja, Benson
Oraelosi (both of Diamond Bank PLC) at the commissioning of a library donated
by Diamond Bank to Ojodu Primary School recently.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility drive to promote capacity development amongst young adults in Nigeria, Diamond Bank PLC, a leading player in the Retail Banking space, unveils library at Ojodu Primary School, Lagos.
The unveiling was carried out in partnership with the United for Kids Foundation (UKF), a non-governmental organisation with primary focus on child welfare particularly among children from low income backgrounds.
During an inspection tour at the opening of the facility, the bank’s Executive Director, Lagos Businesses, Mr. Victor Ezenwoko, noted that the donation underlines Diamond Bank’s firm commitment to investing in community projects which empower children and young adults.
He said, “This library is a way of bringing development close to these children and an investment in the future leaders of the nation. Some of these pupils have high Intelligent Quotient but they do not have the opportunity of access to such educational facility. Accordingly, Diamond Bank decided to enhance their potential as its way of contributing to the future of the Nigerian child and to make them well equipped for the 21st century.”
Alhaja G.K Daodu, Chairperson of the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB),expressed government’s delight at the bank’s initiative in support of public education.
According to her, “I appreciate Diamond Bank and UKF’s efforts in partnering with the state government to shoulder the burden of funding education. It is pleasing to find this type of edifice, which is conducive for reading, in a public primary school.” She also used the medium to appeal to other organizations to emulate the bank in funding developmental projects in government schools.
Speaking on the criteria for selecting Ojodu Primary School as the project beneficiary, Mrs. Tope Fajingbesi, Coordinating Trustee of UKF, said, “The location of the school in a low to mid-income area of Lagos made us come to its aid. It has a population of about 2,000 pupils and we believe it would be a worthwhile investment to support this large number of children who are eager to learn but have limited access to a well-stocked library.”
Mr. A.A. Adaranijo, Head teacher of Ojodu Primary School I, said, “The assumption that children in public schools cannot read will change because of this innovative project. It will help in grooming our children to become good readers and good speakers. They also have opportunity to compete favourably with pupils from private schools. We thank Diamond Bank for this investment in the children.”
Mrs. K.B Jimoh, Head Teacher, Ojodu Primary School II, said, “This project will have a great effect on these children. Prior to now, some of them did not know what a library looks like. They can now read with the help of teachers and a librarian. We appreciate Diamond Bank and UKF for successfully completing this laudable project”.
Commenting on the impact the new library would have on learning, Sunday Anayo, a Primary 6 pupil of the school said, “This is a bigger library that will allow me to read new books different from the books supplied by the state government. The library is also spacious and I will also be able to read in an air-conditioned room like pupils in private primary schools.”