Lagos to power 172 schools with solar

Lagos to power 172 schools with solar

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on
Thursday said the state government had commenced
a process to connect 172 public schools in the state
to the solar power.
Fashola made the remark at the presentation of
corporate social responsibility awards to 424
individuals, civil society groups and corporate
bodies, for their contributions to primary and
secondary schools in the state.
“One of the things that have failed primary and
secondary schools in Lagos state is regular and
uninterrupted electricity supply.
“We have engaged another strategic partnership
with the Dfid Engineering Company; we are putting
solar panel packs in 172 schools in the first phase.
“When we successfully complete that phase, we will
continue school by school. We will ensure that each
school has its own power. About 20 of those schools
have been completed.
“Government Secondary School, Meiran, has
commissioned its own power, the power serves the
school dormitory and hostels,” he said.
Fashola said the “support a school project“ became
necessary because government now has more
schools to manage, than they had in the past, when
government was doing more of regulation.
He said the state had also increased that education
budget to 16.8 per cent in 2015, but still needs more
support from its partners.
“Today is a day to say thank you. Some of you I
never met, but you have supported our schools. It is
not because of me that you have supported our
schools, but because of our children. The state
budget increases year in year out; we have
increased education budget from 15 per cent in 2014
to 16.8 in 2015.
“The 2015 budget is facing revenue funding
challenges because it is no longer a secret that our
oil resources have reduced. Many states cannot pay
salaries; Lagos is not one of those states that cannot
pay salaries,” he said.
Fashola said the public confidence in public schools
had also increased.
“An independent polls commission shows that as at
December 2014, 52 per cent of Lagos residents
enrolled their children in public primary schools.
Sixty-one per cent have their children in public
secondary schools. We have similar indices in our
health system.”
Access Bank Plc, Julius Berger Nig. Plc, Budhrani
Charitable Trust, Lion’s club, Nigerian Bottling
Company, OANDO Foundation, MTN Nigeria and
CAPL Plc. were among the awardees.
Mr Akinwale Goodluck, Corporate Service Executive,
MTN Communications Ltd., said Lagos State had
distinguished itself in receiving corporate social
responsibility.
Goodluck said Lagos was a key market for MTN thus,
the need to do a lot of corporate social responsibility
for the state.
“Lagos is not the only place where we do business;
but in other states, we are unable to do anything
because there is a complete absence of structure.
“We found that the Lagos environment is conducive,
and we thank the state government for providing
the enabling environment for our company to
operate,” he said.
Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, Lagos State Commissioner
for Education, said the ministry would focus more on
primary and technical education in 2015.
Oladunjoye said the support our school initiative is
aimed at revamping the state educational system
through the active participation of individuals,
organisations and civil society groups.
She said 1,009 primary schools, 348 junior secondary
and 327 senior secondary schools and five technical
colleges had benefited from the support our school
project.
Mr Olawunmi Gasper, Chairman, Lagos State
Technical and Vocational Education Board, said there
was increase in the enrolment in technical colleges,
in the past five years.
Gasper said eight years ago, nobody was interested
in technical education, but through the support of
MTN, things had changed.
“Technical education has made a real difference in
lives of countless young people nationwide; it builds
self confidence and leadership skills by allowing
students to be self employed,” he said.
He called for more support in the area of youth
innovation and enterprise, to drive entrepreneurship
and reduce unemployment.