Sugar firm donates classrooms to host community in Niger

The management of Golden Sugar Company, Sunti Division, at the weekend reiterated its commitment to the development of its host community through a well-defined funding programme to avail residents of technical expertise and opportunities in line with global best practices.

General Manager of the Golden Sugar Company, Mr. Anlo Du Pisani, made the promise during the official commissioning and handing over of a block of four classrooms with office to St. Mathias Nursery and Primary School Kusogi, in Mokwa local council of Niger State.

Anlo Du revealed that in August 2022, the sugar company conducted an independent needs assessment of its host community to identify priority areas for development and investment.

According to him, the project was arrived at in realisation of the fact that education is key to providing a secured future, prosperous and happy life, while helping to improve the economy and give equal opportunity to all. This, he said, made the company decide to embark on an education project, adding that in 2018, the company also donated two 40-feet containers partitioned into two classrooms each to the school.

Pisani noted that the project was funded majorly by the company and a foreign donor with a total cost of N27,265,177.

Earlier, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji (Dr) Yahaya Abubakar, appreciated the company for investing in the education of the host community.

The monarch advised parents and guardians to take ownership of the project so as to guard against vandalisation.

The Etsu Nupe, represented by Alhaji Baiwa Abubakar Mohammed, Ndaceko Nupe, had earlier stated that the school was established for all and sundry irrespective of ethnic and religion differences and urged Muslim parents to enroll their wards into the school.

Chairman, Mokwa local council, Jibrin Abdullahi Muregi, lauded the company for the gesture, noting that the company had over the years lived up to her corporate social responsibility of providing amenities to the host community.

He emphasized that the school is not meant for Christian children alone, hence the need for pupils of other faiths to enroll their wards into the school.

The council boss donated 50 chairs and tables to the school and approved immediate deployment of teachers to the school in the bid to complement the effort of the sugar company while assuring of routine monitoring of activities in the school.

In his keynote address, the Bishop of Kutigi Diocese, Rt. Reverend Jeremiah Kolo, hinted that the church began the project but couldn’t go beyond the foundation level due to financial constraints, before the sugar company took over and completed it, including the parameter fencing.

The cleric disclosed that the donation of the new classrooms has facilitated the upgrade of the school from primary to junior and senior secondary by the state government.

He, however, called on the host community to reciprocate the firm’s gesture by enrolling their children in the school.

Kolo said the church would continue to partner with the sugar company in order to improve the living conditions of the host community.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) chairman of the school, Alhaji Jiya Kusogi; Head boy, Muktar Sani; as well as the Head girl, Destiny Joseph; all commended the company for providing a conducive environment for teaching and learning.