How Nigerian Breweries is grooming young entrepreneurs in schools

* As Samond wins N500, 000 educational trust fund, N100, 000 cash

By Ikenna Asomba

The winners

In a bid to tackle the alarming deterioration of the nation's education sector, as well as the attendant unemployment rate, the Nigeria Breweries Plc (NB), last Friday, gathered over 500 students from ‎across five schools, in Lagos, to enlighten them on the right career paths to take. 

 

Among the participating schools at the event tagged 'Beyond the School', a career and guidance counselling initiative‎ of Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei (NB-FO) Education Trust Fund, were SSI-SS3 students of Oregun Senior Secondary School, Oregun; Vetland Senior Secondary School, Agege; Government Senior Secondary School, Ikoyi; Baptist Senior High School, Obanikoro and Eric Moore Senior High School, Surulere.

Speaking on the occasion, ‎Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, NB, disclosed that since 1994, the fund has been used to support various educational projects across 40 communities.

Ekanem said such projects include the building of over 250 classrooms, 22 libraries in primary and secondary schools, as well as the donation of laboratory equipment and other materials to tertiary institutions.

His words: "Nigerian Breweries believes our youths and teenagers have a role to play in the national development and education, which remains the cornerstone of any meaningful and sustainable development. This belief has continued to drive our quest to contribute towards a more functional and effective education sector.

"Beyond the School involves giving career talks aimed at helping SS1-SS3 students in selected schools to choose their course of study that may help them to get into jobs or help them to be self_employed.

"The initiative is designed to provide vital information to the students to enable them get into careers that suit their aptitude, personality, interest and skill. Since the inception of the initiative, we have visited five schools and have impacted over 1, 300 students," he said.

Similarly, the Project Champion and wife of the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, NB, Mrs. Clementine Vervelde said: "This is a new generation, so we need to guide them. The kids need to believe in themselves to be achievers in life. With the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei (NB-FO) Education Trust Fund, we try to guide the kids in their career paths by giving them the right information.

Meanwhile, Bestman Games in a bid to inculcate in the students lessons in personal finance engaged them in the Hasbro’s iconic Monopoly Board Game. The five participating schools locked horns in the City of Lagos Monopoly tournament, which saw Alabi Samond winning the 1^st Prize of N500, 000 educational trust fund and N100, 000 cash; Emmanuel Peter won the 2^nd Prize of N500, 000 educational trust fund and N50, 000 cash, even as Ayoade Yusuf, Afolabi Azeez, Mojid Mariam and David Komi won the 3^rd Prize with N50, 000 educational trust fund and N10, 000 cash each.

Other winners were: Odofin Rofiat, Jimoh Abeeb, Godwin Elizabeth, Ebarumeifo Priscilla and Akinwumi Dolapo, 4^th Prize with N50, 000 in cash and Adeyemi Adeshina, Ayomide Oseni, Ayoola Joseph, Lawal Ibrahim and Olawale Bayode all winning the 5^th Prize with N20, 000 in cash. Also, all the students went home with a city of Lagos Monopoly board and goody bag from Nigerian Breweries.