The Mukhtaar Tijani Foundation held its third annual ‘Back 2 School Drive’ in Lagos Island to support pupils with their educational needs as they resume for a new term.
The programme was held on Saturday, January 14 2023 with about 600 students in attendance. Letters were sent to various schools requesting they nominate top students that will participate in our quiz competition on Math, English and Current Affairs. Outstanding students from the competition received cash prizes, laptops and bags.
The ‘Back 2 School Drive’, an initiative by Engr. Mukhtaar Tijani, General Manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB), started in 2021 as a response to assist students going back to school after the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the majority of families across the country.
According to Tijani, the initiative was conceived when he met many parents who expressed concerns about the closure of schools during the pandemic and getting access to learning materials for their children when school resumed.
Speaking at the event, Lanre Shasore, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Planning and Coordination, commended Tijani for the initiative, saying it will close the gap of out-of-school children in the State.
Zainab Aderounmu, a First-Class graduate of the Lagos State University and Youth Ambassador, motivated the students to study hard and strive for excellence.
Also present at the event were Muibi Folawiyo, Chairman Lagos Island East LCDA; Bashir Are, General Manager, Lagos Lottery Board; Abdulmumin Edidi, Representative, Lagos Central Senatorial District Nigerian Youth Parliament and Chairman House Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse Control; and Alhaji Qudus Abari: Education Secretary, Lagos Island Local Government.
In line with the desire of the State Government to ensure effective coordination of energy resources that will keep the Lagos economy on the path of growth, the Lagos State Electricity Board (LSEB) has held a two-day strategic retreat for members of staff of the Agency.
In his address at the event, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote revealed that the capacity-building retreat is required to position the State towards attracting Private Sector collaboration and investment in the energy sector.
“The Lagos State Electricity Policy which is designed to provide a cleaner, reliable, affordable and uninterrupted power supply to residents requires proper coordination for its implementation”, he stated.
According to him, the framework articulated constitutional, legal, engineering and commercial foundations for creating a viable sub-national electricity system that would cater for the energy needs of the state.
He said the new approach to energy security that the state government is facilitating identifies with the global response of ensuring that all human beings, including future generations are entitled to benefit from modern energy services and at the same time be protected from their negative side effects.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ms. Shola Shasore, acknowledged the relevance of building the competence of the workforce for effective service delivery.
She stated that the attainment of the government’s vision on energy generation and distribution hinged on building competence in the workforce to drive the implementation with proper monitoring and evaluation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, Engr. Mukhtaar Tijani said the retreat was designed at fashioning a new paradigm of delivering efficient energy services to the teeming public and exploring opportunities for future gains.
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He said the theme of the retreat: “Guaranteeing Security of Lagos through Sustainable Energy whilst Managing Talents in Disruptive Times and Leveraging Corporate Transformation”, captured major targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
While acknowledging that the economy of Lagos as the commercial hub of Nigeria makes it pertinent to restructure the traditional energy security calculus, Tijani affirmed that implementing the comprehensive energy blueprint will support the State’s quest towards becoming a 21st Century Economy.
“With the emerging global era of disruption characterised by artificial intelligence, robotic and automation, every government is forced with multiple challenges, restructuring and exercising strategic talent management”, he said. Tijani pointed out that the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which is
Tijani pointed out that the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which is the premise of delivering equitable socio-economic dividends across the state, requires the formulation and implementation of policies and actions on energy to support changes in technology and social demands.
Discussions at the retreat were focused on The Lagos Energy Policy; The Lagos Resilience Strategy; Building Highly Motivated and Performance Driven Team; Entrenching Public Service Rules in Parastatals and Enhancing Social Dialogue to ensure Sustainable Culture for Safety and Health in Workplace.
The dignitaries at the retreat include Permanent Secretary, Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO), Dr. Aina Olugbemiga Ayoola; Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mrs. Oyegbola Olasunkanmi Mopelola; Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Abiodun Bamgboye; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development; Pharm. (Dr.) Oke-Osanyintolu Zaineb and Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Establishments Training and Pensions, Mrs. Kikelomo Bolarinwa. Also in attendance was the Lagos State, Chief Resilience Officer, Mrs. Folayinka Dania.
The second edition of the Mukhtaar Temitope Tijani (MTT) Back 2 School drive held today 15 – 01 – 2022. The Back 2 School Drive is an annual initiative to encourage children on Lagos Island to embrace education.
To improve on the feedback from the 2021 program which targeted 300 pupils, Hon Mukhtaar Tijani increased the reach of the 2022 program to cover 500 kids within the ages of 8-12 years old who are also residents of Lagos Island.
This year’s edition distribution is led by Lagos Island East Education Secretary Hon Qudus Abari, Lcda Chairman Hon Muibi Folawiyo , House of Representatives Member , Hon Kayode Akiolu and His counterpart in the assembly Hon Olarenwaju Afini .
MTT implored parents to make use of such initiative to motivate their children back to the classroom while also promising to do more on the rehabilitation of the education system within Lagos Island with different programs as the Back 2 School Drive.
Hon Kayode Akiolu called on parents to increase the value system amongst the kids and make education a core business within the family.
Lagos Island East Education Secretary Alhaji Abari appealed to the children to look up to MTT and his colleagues as role models to motivate and emulate.
While the message was for the students, it also by extension made reference to parents whose responsibility is to ensure that these children are able to uphold their optimistic visions of the future.