FG lauds British charity for combating Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis

scheduled to hold on March 8 at Bishop Justus CE School in Bromley, Kent in England.

Osinbajo hailed IAFoundation for offering strategic support to Nigeria’s education sector, saying that the charity had contributed immensely to Nigeria’s growth.

According to the vicepresident, IA-Foundation has made remarkable impact in reducing the number of girls who are unable to access education, due to poverty, insecurity or poor orientation about the importance of acquiring education.

“Given the number of girls who remain out of school in our country and may never have the opportunity of formal education, girl-child education is an all-important assignment.

“I whole-heartedly commend the commitment and dedication that IA-Foundation has deployed so far in getting our girls educated,’’ Osinbajo stated.

Similarly, the Chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the foundation for its consistency in the past four year in ensuring that children who were previously out of school were able to access quality education.

“For an organisation that has over 95 per cent of its leadership based in the UK to have executed projects across nine states in Nigeria, and also helping 100 children back to school is highly commendable.

“Government needs the support and partnership of the diaspora communities and I am happy that IA-Foundation is complementing the efforts of our government in the education sector to combat the problem of out-of-school children,’’ she said.

Dabiri-Erewa called on other

Nigerians and Nigerian-owned businesses in the diaspora to emulate IA-Foundation and be part of the development and transformation of Nigeria.

IA-Foundation Black-Tie and Charity Ball is an annual event, organised to intimate well-meaning individuals and the corporate world about the education deficit in Nigeria and mobilise resources to provide quality education for out-ofschool children in Nigeria.

Fund generated from the event is channeled towards support for pupils and families, especially the girl-child; persons with disabilities and orphans.

Some high-profile Nigerians, including the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Amb. Sarafa Ishola, and a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, are expected at the event.

Also expected at the event is the Chairman of the NigeriaBusiness Forum, Prince Folabi Andu, and other eminent Nigerians residing in the UK.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country has about 20.2 million kids out-ofschool, a development caused by lingering insecurity, poverty and other issues plaguing the country.

However, IA-Foundation, which is based in Kent, took up the challenge four years ago, providing scholarships to hapless kids, to enable them get quality education.

The foundation is active in nine states in Nigeria, including Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Delta, Ekiti, Kwara, Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.

The charity has also spent handsomely to provide portable water in some poor communities in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub. (NAN)

Republic of Maldives to honour Dare for contributions in sports development

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, is to be conferred with a “Special Recognition Award” in the Republic of Maldives, an aide of Dare disclosed on Monday.

Toyin Ibitoye, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, in a statement quoted the Maldives’ Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof, explained the award.

Mahloof said it was in recognition of Dare’s contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria and Africa.

“In recognition of the work you have carried out for the development of sports in your country and the African region, we will be conferring the “Special Recognition Award” on you,” he said.

Ibitoye said the conferment ceremony expected to hold in the Republic of Maldives on March 16, would be attended by the Maldivian President, Ibrahim Solih.

He added that world renowned athletes, as well as Maldivian athletes, among others, would also be in attendance.

The minister’s aide said the award would add to various others Dare has bagged “in recognition of his stellar performances since assumption of office as Minister of Sports and Youth Development”.

He listed such awards to include the Award of Excellence in Public Service given by President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as those by the National Telegraph and Blueprint newspapers.

“Others are the Youth Award in the U.S., African Illustrious Minister of the Year Award, among many others.

”Apart from the various awards, Dare has initiated a lot of programmes like the Adopt initiative as well as produced the National Sports Industry Policy, the 10-year Football Development Masterplan and the Talent Hunt Programme.

”He ensured the return of the long and middle distance races, and the cross country race in Nigeria after almost 40 years in the doldrums.

“Dare also embarked on the rehabilitation of sports facilities across the country, efforts that have impacted positively on Nigerian sports,” Ibitoye stated. (NAN)