Badagry Backs Initiative to Boost Economy
With social and economic growth in mind, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State has partnered a non government organisation, TOS Education Initiative to flag off the ‘Bright Future Book Club’ in the area.
According to the convener of the initiative, Lolade Salvador, the idea of the club came up to reverse the negative trend in the reading habit of students in this social media era.
Salvador noted further that the initiative was in appreciation of what the society through reading had contributed to her making as well as her daughter who was offered Bright Future scholarship in Florida for reading 1,400 books from primary to high school.
“It is saddening to realise that reading habit among our students is declining despite that education has great influence on the economy. Reading is a function that is necessary in today’s society.”
Beyond economic factors, she explained that reading helps to a large extent in building good self-image, develop the mind, imagination and the creative side of a person as well as improve communication both written and spoken.
She stated that bringing such initiative to Badagry means a lot to the residents and the development of the community as a whole as it would further brighten the future of the society.
Reiterating that education is the bedrock of economic development, Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Mr. Olusegun Onilude, commended the cooperation of stakeholders in receiving the initiative adding it was the beginning of great things to come in the local government area.
He posited that getting children to read should not be left to schools alone, rather a function of the entire society including parents and government.
Onilude added: “The essence of this initiative is to promote reading culture among students in Badagry LGA, knowing well that education is vital to this society being the cradle of civilisation. It is usually said that if you want to hide a secret from African, keep it in a book. At Badagry, we want to prove this notion wrong. Through this programme, we expect to see a considerable improvement in the academic performance of our students .”
The event hosted about 23 schools in the local government who were all presented with education materials to aid their reading.
Salvador also expressed readiness to partner other LGAs in Lagos State that expressed interest in the initiative.
Chivita, a brand of CHI Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sugar and Cholesterol Control Foundation (SACCOF) to boost wellness in Nigeria.
President of SACCOF, Ademola Adesoye, noted that the partnership between the duo sought to increase public awareness on the nutritional benefits of 100 per cent fruit juice as well as to correct misconceptions on sugar consumption.
Adesoye said that the both Chivita and SACCOF would embark on massive campaign to pass the message down, further adding that excess sugar intake without complementary active living, are the likely causes of diabetes and associated diseases among many Nigerians.
He thus called for the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the campaign as well as more investment in researches and public sensitisation.
“It is important Nigerians understand that they need sugar to carry out their basic tasks. What is bad is excess intake.
And what could be normal for one person may be excessive for another. What determines the volume of sugar you require are your lifestyle and the amount of energy you need to discharge your responsibilities.”
Managing Director of Chi Limited, Deepanjay Roy added that the firm would, on the strength of the partnership, support the foundation’s research works and other initiatives aimed at educating Nigerians on healthy living. He said that the company and SACCOF had shared values in boosting the quality of life, through enlightenment and support for consumer’s health and wellness.
“As a sustained initiative, we hope to support independent efforts by experts such as nutritionists and dieticians to show how fruit juice contributes to the health and well-being of consumers. We will also create a sustainable discourse on the truth and science of 100 per cent fruit juice and the No-added Sugar proposition,” he stressed.