China further strengthened the existing cordial relationship between her and Nigeria recently through one of her companies, Speco 3 Power Construction Corporation, with the commissioning of a five-classroom block built and equipped by the company in Olorunsogo Community Primary School in lfo Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogun State.

The company, which operates in the area, executed the project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes under the “China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action” coordinated by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos.

Apparently overwhelmed by the gesture, residents of the community trooped out to rejoice with the teachers and pupils of the school during the commissioning ceremony last Tuesday.

The ceremony, which was performed by the Chinese Consular General in Lagos, His Excellency, Mr. Liu Kan, was witnessed by the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Modupe Mujota; the traditional ruler of the Olorunsogo community, Oba Samuel Olukayode Sodimu; the Secretary, Local Education Authority, Ifo LGA, Mr. Rasheed Oladele Akintoye; and the Project Manager, Speco 3 Power Construction Corporation, Mr. Peng Hong, among other dignitaries from China and Ogun State.

In his remarks during the ceremony, Kan explained that the “China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action” is a programme aimed at encouraging and supporting exchanges and cooperation between women and young people of the two countries by jointly undertaking small and micro social programmes and promoting mutual visits between the peoples and organisations of the two countries.

He said: “To implement the programme, in the consular district, the Consular General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, encourages Chinese companies in Nigeria to feed back and make donations to local communities and schools.

“The rehabilitation project for Olorunsogo Primary School was coordinated by the Consulate General and carried out by Speco 3 Power Construction Corporation, under the frame work of the programme.”

Kan put the cost of constructing the 5-classroom block and purchase of equipment donated to the school at N7.5 million.

Equipment handed over to the school included 102 reading desks and seats, 10 chairs and tables for the teachers, whiteboards for all the classrooms, 255 school bags, various items of stationery and graded interlocked assembly ground.

Kan added: “The project is one more testimony of the amity of the Chinese people to the Nigerian people. The China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action project, coordinated by the Consulate General is being carried out each year to benefit the Nigerian people. This year, the Consulate General will conduct two more projects under the framework of this programme.”

He recalled that in the past three years, the Consulate together with Chinese companies in the country, had executed three of such projects in Lagos at Isolo SOS International Children’s Village in 2013; Itedo Primary School in Eti Osa in 2014; and Satelite Junior Secondary School in 2015.

He noted that the Olorunsogo project was the first of its kind in Ogun State.

The Project Manager of Speco 3, Hong, said the cooperation and friendship so far shown to his company and its workers by the community necessitated the initiation and completion of the project. He called for greater cooperation between the two in the days ahead.

Speaking on the occasion, Mujota remarked that the Ogun State government and her people take education as a sure antidote to mental and physical slavery and highly priced tool for individual and national development.

She said: “In our state, education is the biggest industry and the pioneering role of the state government in this sector has never been in doubt. However, for education to be continuously relevant to the development of our state, it must be functional and meet the society’s immediate and long time needs.

“In order to achieve this, therefore, necessary human and capital resources as well as the required infrastructure must be provided in the right calibre and type. Incidentally, our government has never pretended or been under the illusion that it possesses the overwhelming wherewithal that will facilitate a 100 per cent social service delivery. This is because apart from education, the government is laden with enormous responsibilities that require its attention and of course with limited resources to meet these demands. As a result, the government has always been an advocate of proactive private partnership so as to complement its efforts at providing affordable and qualitative education.”

She, therefore, thanked the Consulate and company for their gesture, saying: “Needless to say that a comfortable and child-friendly environment stimulates and accentuates learning.

“Our welcome mat is therefore rolled out to other individuals, non-governmental organisations and corporate entities to take a cue from the noteworthy example of Speco 3, to key into the overall development agenda of Ogun State.”