The Managing Director of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, has expressed the company’s resolve to continue supporting Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, which he described as one of the auto distributor’s laudable corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Speaking at a prize and certificate presentation ceremony to this year’s winners at TNL’s corporate headquarters, Lekki, Mr. Ade-Ojo said the company believes in tapping into the minds of children towards helping them realise their God-given talent.
He added: “The platform will help build the confidence of these budding artists and future leaders in the creative world. He expressed high hopes that one of the local winners would win on the Toyota global platform. He added that Toyota would continue to organise the contest annually as long as it remains relevant to the company’s CSR objectives.”
The 13th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, a CSR initiative of Toyota Motor Corporation Japan to develop the innate artistic talent in children and to cultivate an enduring relationship with them, was held this year in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos.
The contest was held on January 26, 2019 in Abuja and Port-Harcourt, respectively, and in Lagos on February 2. Children came from different schools and states to share their concepts about the future of vehicular mobility by drawing their dream cars in the contest.
The contest comprises of age categories which are: Under eight years old, eight to11 years; and 12 to 15 years.
In Abuja, 290 children participated, 361 in Port-Harcourt and 450 in Lagos. Three winners emerged from each category in Port-Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos centres, respectively; making a total of 27 winners from the three zones.
Three national finalists from each category making nine winners in all emerged after the rigorous assessment of entries from the three drawing centres. All the winning entries were judged based on the originality, creativity (the big idea behind the drawing), environmental friendliness, safety and futuristic concept in their drawings.
The Nine winners were invited to the award of prize and certificate ceremony at Toyota (Nigeria) Limited corporate headquarters, Lekki March 30, 2019. Among the nine winners, four were from Port-Harcourt, three from Abuja, and two from Lagos. The winners’parents, teachers and well-wishers were entertained and winners went home with laptops, other corporate gifts and most importantly, winner’s certificate.
In attendance were the Managing Director, Toyota Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo; Head of Marketing Department, Mr. Andrew Ajuyah; Public Relations Manager, Mrs. Bukunola Ogunnusi; and Marketing Manager, Mr. Adebayo Olawoyin.
Each winner presented his/her drawing; explaining the concept of their drawings typified the guidelines of originality, creativity, environmental friendliness, safety and future relevance. respectively, they also urged Toyota to manufacture their dream car in the future.
In conclusion, one of the winners Ebelechukwu Onyejekwe, thanked the organisers on behalf of the entire winners and expressed her gratitude to Toyota (Nigeria) Limited for the opportunity given to them to exhibit their talents. Mr. Abdulbasit Bolaji Bakare, one of the parents and school proprietor, thanked the management of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited for giving the children the opportunity to exhibit their creativity.