•Distribute 500 bicycles to schools in Lagos
TO commemorate the 2025 United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, the Gabriel Rotimi Aroge Empowerment Foundation (GRA) has partnered with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) to distribute 500 bicycles to selected government-owned schools in Lagos State.
The distribution aimed at improving road safety and transportation access for secondary school students.
The bicycles were unveiled from a cargo container of 505 units, marking the first phase of what the organisers described as a long-term cycling empowerment project.
The bicycles were donated by the Foundation’s UK partner, Re-Cycle Bikes to Africa.
The initiative, known as Cycle-to-School-Plus (C2S+), kicked off at the Government Technical College, Ikotun.
The Registrar of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA), Rasheed Aiyelabegan, represented by Dr Fagbenro Abiola of the School of Transport at Lagos State University (LASU), acknowledged the Institute’s critical role in supporting GRA internationally.
Also, Executive Secretary of LASTVEB, Moronke Azeez, while speaking during the flag-off of the programme, emphasised that the programme aligns with the Board’s mandate to enhance educational access through mobility, skills acquisition, and safe commuting for students.
“Education is not only what we learn in the classrooms but also the experiences we gain along the way. With these bicycles, students will develop life skills and values. They can build bicycle clubs, safety networks, and environmental advocacy groups,” she said.
She, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to prioritise safety, obey traffic rules, and maintain the bicycles responsibly, describing the gesture as an investment in the youth.
President and Founder of the GRA Empowerment Foundation, Rotimi Aroge, represented by the National Coordinator, Dr Al-Mahroof Ashiru, said that the Foundation’s goal was not just to provide bicycles, but to also promote a culture of discipline, compliance, and transportation equity.
“We want to change behaviours and build road safety consciousness. Some argue that Nigeria lacks dedicated bicycle lanes, but safety is about attitude, not only infrastructure,” he said.
Aroge said that the C2S+ bicycles would remain the property of the Foundation and would be handed from one set of students to another after graduation. Beneficiaries are selected through a structured process involving route mapping, screening, and road-risk evaluation, using digital tools and school profiling.
He added that the beneficiaries would be monitored and trained in safe riding, with exceptional students qualifying for rewards, scholarships, and exchange programmes abroad.
Aroge disclosed that the container clearance alone cost nearly N15 million for customs clearing and other logistics, and expressed hopes for more private sector contributions.
Meanwhile, the Principal of Government Technical College, Ikotun, IbukunOnagbola, said that the programme complements the school’s technical curriculum.
“We want our students to become future bicycle engineers. This sets the foundation for a new vocational skills sector,” she said.
Part of the event featured a road-safety video skit competition involving several Lagos schools, with Community Junior Grammar School winning the top prize of N100,000 and safety materials. The competition highlighted messaging on pedestrian risks, distracted driving, and safe commuter habits.
The Foundation has already mapped 20 more schools for the next phase in Alimosho. Escort marshals and a central bicycle workshop will be set up at Government Technical College, Ikotun for all students in Alimosho Local Council, training them on DIY (Do-it-yourself) to enable them to effect minor repairs.
Assembly of the bicycles and partial distribution begins in December, with full rollout expected by January 2026.
