Known for its consistency in its self-imposed annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Lagos state and beyond, the Tutor-general, Education District VI, Lagos, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Onadipe has urged corporate organisations, well meaning individuals and students to emulate X3M Ideas as the Lagos agency recently handed over the renovated SS 3/Administrative block at State Senior High School, Ikeja GRA.
Mrs. Onadipe, who doubles as the Permanent Secretary for the Education District as the Chief beneficiary of the project, noted that X3M CSR initiatives has benefitted the education community in Lagos and Nigeria in general as the agency had lent a helping hand to the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok where its currently resettled providing materials to make teaching and learning conducive.
Pointing out that District VI, Lagos has benefitted the most from the Agency’s annual give back to the society, Mrs. Onadipe while appreciating the “good works” of the of X3M Ideas in turning the hitherto uninhabitable block of classrooms to safe place for academic work, lamented the state of the building before the intervention as an eyesore “the building was a legacy one as the oldest in this compound but it was nothing to write home about. It was always giving us challenges but today you have delighted the management, staff and students with this fantastic renovation”.
She praised X3M Ideas for consistently supporting the District and Lagos State in general. It has previously donated a fully stocked library within the same complex for its 4th Anniversary CSR two years ago.
Handing over the new project included the Administrative block and the SS3 Block which comprises of 3 classrooms equipped with new set of chairs and tables, white boards, lightings and fans among others, the CEO, X3M Ideas, Mr. Steve Babaeko revealed that although the company clocked 6 this year, since inception, it made CSR its priority every year and has been consistent without fail.
Following on the heels of the Tutor-generals comments, Babaeko encouraged other corporate organisations to join hands with the government to provide support in solving some of the nagging infrastructural deficiencies especially where it concerned students who are the leaders of tomorrow.
“There is nowhere in the world where government is able to solve all the problems but, as corporate citizens, I think we all have the responsibility to find what areas we can intervene, that is what we always do as a company. We know we do not have all the monies in the world but it has become a tradition for us to find relevant areas of intervention and contribute our little bit”.
The school’s authority appreciated the 2018 X3M Ideas’ gesture which it noted was “to make the students better by bringing the building up to standard considering the level of deterioration it suffered prior to the intervention, which could hamper learning and assimilation. Hence, the Permanent Secretary’s advised students to make judicious use of the facility.
Earlier while welcoming the X3M Ideas’ Management to the school, the Principal, Mrs. Olajumoke Ilori praised the agency for counting the school worthy of the gesture and always supporting the Lagos State government’s efforts at improving quality of education in the state.
“Our governor is doing wonderfully well and you did a great work to complement the effort of our highly esteemed governor. This project by X3M Ideas will forever be remembered in the school’s history”, she noted.
In its six years of existence, X3M Ideas, a full service agency has remained consistent delivering projects geared at impacting lives of students and better the education sector. “One thing is that nobody can force an individual or corporate institution to be responsible, but you choose to be a responsible citizen as a business. Anybody that is expecting that government will solve all the societal problems, then that person’s head is buried somewhere in the cloud”, Steve had told the media in a previous interview.
In August 2012, X3M Ideas clocked one, and in marking the first year anniversary, the company renovated and handed over a block of five classrooms (equipped with chairs, desks and chalk boards) to Opebi Junior High School, Opebi, Ikeja Lagos.
Following on the success of this daring move, Oregun Senior High School, Oregun and Community High School Wasimi, Maryland, Lagos benefitted from X3M goodness. These schools’ IT labs were equipped with computer gadgets – two units of laptops (pre-loaded with the required software/computer applications), 2HP air-conditioners and 10 Units of UPS.
In a shift from the norm, X3M Ideas took its CSR project to new dimension in 2014 when it clocked 3. It visited the often forgotten Lagos State Special Correctional Centre for Boys, popularly known as ‘welfare’ in Oregun, Lagos.
The company constructed, equipped and donated to the centre the two blocks of modern lavatories for the use of the students and staff of the home. Beyond the donations, as part of its 2014 CSR, Steve facilitated a mentorship session prepping these delinquent prone kids for a change in orientation and thinking. “You are the only architect of your future. No matter what the people have called or labelled you, your destiny is in your hands. You can become whatever you want to become”, finding revealed.
In 2015 the CSR project was taken to Ikeja Senior High School, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos where it constructed a library and equipped it with furniture and relevant textbooks for the use of the students and teachers.
To mark its 5th year business, the agency took the initiative out of Lagos for the first time. It berthed at Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Chibok in Bornu state. The school ravaged by the dreaded Boko Haram bandit and displaced was blessed with 317 units of tables and chairs for students and teachers at its new site. The donation delighted the hearts of the beneficiaries and Nigerians as it “bolstered confidence and renewed hope for a better tomorrow”.
The X3M’s unfailing project however returned to Lagos for its 6th edition still in the education sector reinforcing the notion that a business doesn’t exist just to make money but to impact the communities where it operates.
Asked if the company has made so much money which led to its yearly selfless service, Steve said “No, we are not that rich. If it’s about that we wouldn’t have started this from our first year. We took a conscious decision to make this part of our being from day one of our existence because it is ingrained in our DNA, it is our attitude, it is our way of life as an entity”, he had revealed.
For the Tutor-general, District VI whose district benefitted from X3M Idea’s 6th Anniversary CSR, the school has the most improved result in the whole state, however, with this donation our result will continue to improve, she assured X3M Ideas’ management while advising the students’ population “to make good use of the renovated SS3 Block of 3 Classrooms so others coming behind them will also enjoy its use and also benefit from it.
“Make use of the furniture, building, and gadgets. Don’t spoil them so that others coming behind can use them and when you set up your organisation like X3M Ideas, you will not forget your Alma Mater.
