Speeches

Commissioning Of Ilasan Six Classroom Block Completed By Chevron Nigeria Limited

Aug 7, 2008 - In the current global world of information technology, education is both a necessity and an investment which everybody must embrace with the seriousness that it deserves. The era when education was acquired in crowded and stressful classes is becoming a thing of the past as the state government has taken a firm stand in ensuring that its policy on education as top priority is fulfilled with the provision of basic infrastructure and sound curricular and welfare. I have always insisted that our desire is to make our destination for learning and capacity building where students and teachers will be happy to learn and work.

In building these six classrooms for this primary school, Chevron Nigeria Limited has not only uplifted the Ilasan Community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area but has lived up to its corporate social responsibility for which the company is noted in its areas of core competence and operations. It is also a show of good neighbourliness by the Oil giant.

I am therefore delighted to be in your midst to witness this commissioning today of Ilasan six classroom block. I am also convinced that the children, parents and school authorities who are the ultimate beneficiaries of this project will look with gratitude at the company, its workers who drive fine cars through their neighbourhood on a daily basis and feel inspired to excel in their duties and studies respectively

This sense of communal responsibility is really the idea behind the Public- Private Partnership Initiative (PPP) of our government, not just to create a rewarding partnership between the public and private sectors of the economy for social and economic infrastructural development but also to forge a sense of common purpose and shared objectives.

Indeed the provision of quality education is capital intensive, particularly in Lagos State, the commercial capital of the country with a gaping need for infrastructural renewal in virtually every sector of its economy. Education is a vital component of our administration’s ten point programme, critical to the attainment of our policy of wealth creation and sustainable economic growth.

But despite the huge resources we have pumped into the rehabilitation, upgrading and expansion of facilities in our public schools there is still much to be done if we are to realize the Millennium Development Goals of providing affordable and qualitative education to our teeming youths. This is the reason that on Tuesday, August 5, we launched another initiative tagged, “Support Our School”. As the self explanatory initiative suggests, we are inviting public spirited persons and corporate organizations to join efforts with the government in providing quality education in any of our 1030 public primary schools, 311 public primary schools and 303 public secondary schools. Areas of support span activities such as libraries, sports equipment, school buses, classrooms, furniture, toilets, laboratories and ICT rooms.

It looks to me that Chevron Nigeria Limited has already anticipated our administration without prompting. This is commendable. The feat should be emulated. May, I therefore call on others yet to respond to follow the example set by Chevron and partner with the Lagos State government on this noble cause. I can assure you that it will be a worthwhile venture. The incentives attached to the programme are attractive and mutually beneficial.

Once again, I thank the Management and Board of Directors of this company for inviting me to commission this noble project which I now do to the glory of God, the good people of Lagos State, the Ilasan community and the continued prosperity of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

“Eko O ni baje!”

Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN)
Governor of Lagos State