Ovie Brume Foundation (OBF) has called for increased investment in children if the nation must function well. The Executive Director of the foundation, Ese Brume, made the call, recently, when the organisation marked this year’s Children’s Day celebration with over 40 public schools and over 700 students in partnership with Access Bank.
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She stated that the current state of Nigeria is the result of lack of investment in children, adding that the theme for the 2023 Children’s Day, ‘Investing in our Future Means Investing in our Children’ was apt.

“Nigeria has not invested in its children. Investment is not only money but includes time. You can’t realise how important sitting with a child is, listening to them and creating time to spend with them. That is what we tried to do when we created the Ovie Brume Youth Centres. It is so important to have a nation that functions. We see the state our nation is in now; it is because we haven’t really invested in our children,” she said.

She advised the President Bola Tinubu administration to reach out to organisations run by people who are passionate about improving the overall well being of children.
 
Also speaking, a member of the board of the foundation, Mr. Wale Irokosu, called for concerted efforts to encourage the youth and provide them with the guidance, support and opportunities they need to find their “why” and discover their “how.”

According to him, it is in empowering the youth that the country ensures a brighter and more promising future for generations to come.
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Irokosu advised the students to be proactive, adding that doing so requires setting goals, acquiring knowledge and honing their skills through perseverance, resilience and willingness to learn from failure. 
 
A representative of Access Bank, Ekwote Michael, said the bank was committed to partnering with organisations to promote the education of children.

“Access Bank embraces social activities because we believe the children are the leaders of tomorrow. Many schools are here and Access Bank partners the foundation to ensure the purpose of this event is fulfilled. We have an educational platform used to reach out to schools to ensure talented children are not denied potential,” he added.
 
A student of Adebola Baptist Senior High School, Lagos, Favour Nwasia, appreciated the foundation and its partners for organising the event.
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