TO address transportation gaps affecting indigenous public-school students, the Gabriel Rotimi Aroge (GRA) Empowerment Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe alternatives for schoolchildren despite limited support from expected donors, especially corporate organisations.
Founder of GRA Empowerment Foundation, Gabriel Rotimi Aroge, stated this ahead of the official launch of free Cycle 2 School Plus (C2S+) programme, aligning the unveiling with the 2025 United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
The programme, organised in partnership with the Lagos State Vocational Education Board, is scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2025, at the Government Technical College, Ikotun, Lagos, and is expected to draw participation from about 20 secondary schools across the state.
Aroge said that the C2S+ programme would provide qualified students with bicycles for daily commuting throughout their schooling period.
He said that upon graduation, beneficiaries would return the bicycles to their schools for reassignment to new students and the Foundation would also train interested students as bicycle mechanics, creating additional empowerment opportunities.
Aroge noted that 20 schools in Alimosho Local Council had already been pre-qualified following a route survey conducted using the Strava app to map students’ homes, school routes, distances and travel times, adding that escort and travel supervisory teams will be deployed to guide students safely through designated traffic corridors.
The Remembrance Day event will also feature a traffic-safety skit presentation by participating schools.
Also, a cash prize of N100,000 will be awarded to the winning school, while members of the winning team will receive world-class safety footwear, event-branded T-shirts and other souvenirs.
Aroge highlighted that though cycling is common in Nigeria, lack of a structured approach and safety coordination has discouraged many potential cyclists.
“We are largely discouraged by lack of support. It is enough to say there is no point doing this social good but we know that many youths that drift into crime or restiveness today come from underserved communities. So, we feel compelled to continue this project,” he said.
He said that the organisation had overcome major financial challenges in clearing a container of bicycles donated by their United Kingdom (UK) charity partner.
“The Foundation had hoped to receive a waiver during clearing but was left disappointed.
“We have spent close to N15 million covering port charges, warehousing, logistics and transportation from the port to the inland location,” he lamented.
