CITIZENS COMPASS— A world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers – recently collaborated with the Ogun State Ministry of Education to prepare students for Back-to-School season. In line with its commitment to improve learning conditions for 250 million students by the year 2025, BIC donated 50,000 writing tools to students. This is a part of BIC’s larger initiative in Nigeria to provide students with the tools to help them perform academically. Earlier this year, BIC collaborated with the Ministry of Education in Lagos State to provide similar support.
The event held at the Ministry of Education’s premises in Oke Imosan, Abeokuta saw the presence of key representatives from the Ogun State Ministry of Education; over 70 students and their teachers from various schools in Ogun State; esteemed guests from the media; and BIC representatives.
Emphasizing the importance of sufficient resources to the success of a student’s learning journey, Adeyemi Ojo, Business Development Lead at BIC Nigeria, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Ministry of Education in Ogun State to bring our mission to life. As a world manufacturer of stationery material and writing tools, it is our responsibility to provide learners with the necessary writing tools to succeed. The availability of resources is one of the main factors that helps keep students in school, avoiding school dropouts. We are committed to support the communities in which we operate as well as today’s learners – the future of our nation. We are grateful to Ogun State for their collaboration, like-mindedness, and dedication to elevating learning conditions in the State.”
BIC adopts a holistic approach to education in Africa, and Nigeria specifically. Starting by equipping classrooms with the necessary writing and stationery tools, to refurbishing facilities to create inspiring learning environments, to unleashing youth’s creativity through art competitions (namely Art Master Africa), all the way to running internships and promoting entrepreneurial skills amongst students as they enter the professional world.
Ogun State’s Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, expressed his deep appreciation for BIC’s generous donation and emphasized the importance of partnerships between the government and corporate organizations in advancing education. He said: “This collaboration marks a positive beginning and serves as significant encouragement. We value our collaboration with BIC because, in Ogun State’s education sector, we acknowledge that the government cannot achieve everything alone. No government globally funds education entirely by itself. This is why we actively seek the support of alumni, corporate partners like BIC, and other philanthropists to complement the government’s efforts. It’s through these joint efforts that we will achieve the results we aspire to.”
The commissioner also highlighted the success of Ogun State students in national and sub-national competitions, showcasing the state’s progress in education. At the event, two standout students were presented to the guests. Ms. Sarah Adelakun, a Junior Secondary School student from Ebenezer Grammar School in Abeokuta, was recently placed second in the National Anchor Competition in Abuja. Additionally, Master Ayodele Daniel Babalola from Christ Apostolic Grammar School in Iperu Remo. Babalola, who had previously participated in a state-sponsored Technology Training program, impressed attendees by designing a prototype ATM machine, which he demonstrated during the event.
Both students, on behalf of their peers, thanked the State government and BIC for the writing tools. “We are grateful for this support which will certainly help us in performing better academically.” said Ms. Adelakun.
The event concluded with a strong commitment from both the Ogun State Ministry of Education and BIC to continue their collaboration in supporting education across the state. Professor Arigbabu expressed hope that this partnership would pave the way for more initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes in Ogun State.
Earlier this year, BIC Nigeria collaborated with the Lagos State Ministry of Education to provide students with the necessary writing tools ahead of the examination period of the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Similarly, BIC worked with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to donate 40,000 pens to students as they embarked on the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) covering the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions of Ghana. BIC’s commitment to education in the region extends beyond donation of writing tools to include collaboration with teachers, incorporating creativity in classrooms, development of masterclasses of educators, and partnerships with numerous educational institutions to support African youth and students. This stems from the company’s commitment to its sustainable development program, Writing the Future Together.
Photo caption
From Left: Patrick Bello, Marketing Manager, BIC in Nigeria; Mrs. Oluwatosin Oloko, Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology receiving a box of BIC writing materials from Mr. Ojo Adeyemi, Business Development Manager, BIC in Nigeria and others.
