Leading oil major, 11plc, formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, has renovated two building consisting of 21 classrooms at Baptist Primary School, Marine Beach, Apapa Local Government Area, Lagos State as part of its social investment in its host community.
The multi-million naira infrastructure upgrade which was embarked upon as part of the company’s cardinal programme of giving back to the communities where it operates has been handed over to the state government through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The decision of the oil giant to intervene in the development of Apapa Local Government and its environs followed an appeal from the school to carry out the rehabilitation of their building through Marine Beach Community head, their councillor in the LG and representative of the LG who visited 11Plc office on the issue.
Baptist Primary School is within Apapa LGA and was in a deplorable state with 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the building roofing sheets blown up leaving the upper floor of the three storey structure out of use and the walls in dire need of repainting.
The pupils of the school and teachers had a hard time coping with the rigours of using the facility thus inhibiting conducive learning opportunities in the school.
The Managing Director 11Plc, Mr. Adetunji Oyebanji said the company took the opportunity to rehabilitate the school on four different fronts namely: giving back to the host community, creating a conducive learning environment for the pupils and other stakeholders; responding positively to the request of the community heads and government agencies and avenue to the company’s positive contributions to its customers and community to reinforce its brand equity and corporate image.
He pointed out that the school is not only popular within the company’s immediate community as it is one of the biggest in the local government and operated since the 1960s, stressing that the gesture will go a long way in deepening and reinforcing the harmonious relationship between 11PLC and her host community as well as government agencies .
According to him, the project is the oil firm gesture even as it hopes the community appreciates to further serve as encouragement for 11PLC to do more.
He emphasized that assisting government to provide good infrastructure to aid quality education delivery is a cardinal aspect of its social investment initiative adding that this also partly explains the fast delivery of the project.
In acknowledging 11PLC on the project ,the State Universal Basic Education Board said “ the board appreciates this noble gesture as it complements the efforts of the state government at improving basic Education through the provision of conducive environment for effective teaching and learning activities.”
The Secretary of SUBEB, Mrs. Adelaja Abosede expressed appreciation for the project embarked by the oil company which had already been put in use at the commencement of the 2nd term of the 2018/ 2019 academic session.
In a similar vein, the head teacher of the school, Mrs. Eke Justina said the intervention of the company is a commendable one as it would remain indelible in the minds of both staff and pupils of the school for long
“The gesture will come a long way in the history of the school and your company will be growing from strength to strength and progress to progress”, she declared in an emotion laden appreciation letter to 11Plc.
She described the company as a socially responsible organization that cares for the well being of its host communities a lot adding that the facelift given to the school has affected positively the effective and psychomotor domain of the pupils.