Lagos State urges companies to emulate Fidson’s investment model

The Lagos State government has urged companies in Nigeria’s economic capital to emulate the investment model of Fidson Healthcare Plc, which focuses on children’s education and health.

Speaking at the 9th edition of Astymin Brilliance Reward, a children’s academic reward programme, in Lagos, Idiat Oluranti Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos State, who was represented by Folashade Lediju, director, Administration and Human Resource, Lagos State Ministry of Education, said more companies should step in to improve the education of Nigeria’s future leaders, which was the fastest way to take the country to another level.

“Education is one sector that you can never do enough. You just have to keep improving. So, we are charging other corporate bodies to stand up their responsibility and partner with state government and national government to sustain the good standards that we already have,” Lediju said.

Lediju said Fidson’s consistency in supporting children’s educational development in the past nine years was commendable, adding that what the drug makers had done amounted to investing in the future of the future leaders.

“It is good to know that this beautiful programme has been on for the past nine years. We want to encourage Fidson to continue to soar higher and higher. May the Lord continue to empower and enable them. We must also commend their focus on primary education, which is indeed the foundation for educational development. We all know that once the foundation is solid, definitely, success is assured,” she said.

Lediju also noted that Astymin as a food supplement was important for growing children, stressing that once children were healthy, they would be able to channel their energy into developing themselves.

She noted that good nutrition was key for the development of Nigerian children.

“We cannot leave out nutrition in anything we do. If you are well fed, you are bound to be health. We all know that health is wealth,” she added.

Also speaking at the event, Hakeem Olushola Olalekan, director of co-curricular department of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), expressed gratitude to Astymin for the reward programme.

The Astymin Brilliance Reward, which berthed in 2010, is the brand’s biggest and most prestigious event. The programme is aimed at developing mental and academic performance, while rewarding hard work and academic excellence amongst primary school pupils, through special acknowledgment and provision of educational materials.

The 2018 edition witnessed the convergence of the very best graduating pupils from about 210 private and public schools across the south-west and South-eastern regions, as well as parents, teachers and stakeholders in the Nigerian educational system. The Astymin brand recognised and rewarded the kids with certificates of excellence and valuable prizes.

Astymin brand also supports other school programs in primary schools. Every month, there is an ‘Astymin Genius of the Month’ essay competition, in which students in primary schools in Lagos state write an essay on a topic. Astymin then rewards the child with the best written essay.

ODINAKA ANUDU