The founder, Margaret Modinat Foundation (MMF), Olanrewaju Osibote, has appealed to the government to improve its funding and support of public schools.
Osibote, who made the plea while hosting children drawn from seven public primary schools in Agege, Lagos, to commemorate this year’s Children’s Day celebration, emphasised the need for government to invest in public schools so that pupils can learn in a conducive environment and have access to modern learning tools.
She said: “When we visited some of the schools, we noticed that the pupils are doing very well, even some are doing better than those in private schools. We believe that with improved funding and provision of basic infrastructure, the sky is the limit for these children.
“We should not forget that most of the people in government today at one time or the other passed through public schools; so, they should invest more in the schools so that the pupils can also be useful tomorrow,” Osibote added.
She said the event was put together to celebrate the children and give them a sense of belonging.
She disclosed that the foundation was named after her late mother as part of efforts to sustain her legacy.
“When I was younger, I looked forward to children’s day. As a child, we used to dance and do other activities on children’s day, but today, it’s not common in public schools, and I felt that I can do something. Initially, I was scared if I would be able to manage the population but with support from friends, we have been able to put smiles on the faces of the pupils,” he said.
The chairman, public accounts committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Kehinde Joseph, commended the foundation for the gesture, and appealed to other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the move.
The lawmaker, while emphasising the importance of education, enjoined parents to send their wards to school.
Speaking on behalf of the physically challenged pupils of Amosun Primary and Inclusive School, Agege, Mr Raji Olamilekan, called for support from members of the public.
He said: “We handle children with different disabilities like autism, down syndrome, and hearing impairments, among others. As their disabilities vary, so are their needs. But this notwithstanding, some of them struggle to learn, while others acquire skills. My plea is that we should support them, and not look down or conclude that nothing good could come from them.”
The event provided a platform for the schools to compete in different activities such as dancing, fashion parade and picking of balls.
At the end of the activities, Sango Primary School emerged winner, while Local Government Primary School and Keke Primary School, were first and second runners-up respectively.
