By Albert Ohams
It was an exciting period at Awka, the Anambra State capital on
Tuesday, January 31. On that day, Ihezie Foundation, a charity
organization in the United Kingdom, unveiled the first batch of the
one million educational textbooks donated to schools and universities
in Anambra State.
Dr. Aloysius Ihezie, a British-born native of Mgbidi in Oru West Local
Government Area of Imo State, is the chairman of the foundation.
Ihezie Foundation, the reporter gathered, presented the textbooks in
partnership with the Anambra State Ministry of Education to promote
reading culture, literacy and numeracy attainment in schools
throughout the state.
It was a historical moment at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra
State Capital, as the first 500, 000 textbooks donated by Ihezie
Foundation was unveiled. It was announced that the second batch
comprising another 500, 000 books would be presented in the very near
future.
The special guest at the event was the deputy governor of Anambra
State, Dr. Nkem Okeke.
Ihezie Foundation’s key objectives are aimed at assisting partners in
Africa in effort to eradicate illiteracy, enhance the educational
standards and most importantly place African students at par with
their counterparts in the developed countries of the world
The 500, 000 textbooks were unveiled by Dr Nkem Okeke, deputy governor
of Anambra State and the Commissioner for Education, Professor Kate
Omenugha.
In his speech, Dr Okeke pledged the ongoing support of the state
government to Ihezie Foundation in completing the donation and
distribution of one million textbooks to Anambra State.
Also speaking, Aloysius Ihezie, Chairman of Ihezie Foundation stated:
“We are very aware that in the UK, children have an abundance of
books, whereas the availability of such books in Africa, including
here in Nigeria, are much more restricted, and in some instances
absent.”
“Donating these books enables us to demonstrate our solidarity with
the students of Anambra State and to support the Ministry of Education
in all their efforts to provide increased educational opportunities
for Anambra State children.”
Michael Bloedorn, Chief Executive Officer of Ihezie Foundation
commended the Anambra State Government for its efforts to partner with
Ihezie Foundation in the distribution of the donated textbooks. He
praised the state government for providing the enabling support for
the continued aims of the charity, adding that the foundation’s aim is
to ensure that all schools and universities in Nigeria and across
Africa benefit from the foundation’s educational empowerment programme
with an abundance of textbooks.
It was with excited smiles that the head teachers and students of more
than one thousand schools received their consignment of textbooks.
There were long lines of school buses and vans waiting to collect and
distribute the 500, 000 textbooks to the secondary schools and
universities across the state.
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