In commemoration of its 7th anniversary, Lagos based Digital Advertising Agency, X3M Ideas led by Steve Babaeko has renovated block IV, at Agidingbi Junior High School. The Lagos school building now is fixed with a state-of-the-art library, a counseling centre and a sickbay as part of the agency’s Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR) intervention projects for 2019.
Commissioning the project at the school’s premises yesterday, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, who represented His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, praised the X3M Ideas’ team for being consistent in supporting the Lagos State government in facilitating a conducive teaching and learning environment in the state.
“This is not the first time of Babaeko is doing this. He has been doing it modestly and quietly. We thank him for his consistency, it’s a wonderful thing. He is a great example for other people in Lagos state. I am very proud to be part of this project. They have renovated the entire building, provided and equipped the library and the sickbay”, confirmed, the Hon. Commissioner.
According to her, the library is an important facility in the school and in the lives of students and the sickbay is also important in the school environment. The library is where the children will read, learn, and get great ideas so it’s extremely important in the lives of our students. And the sickbay, we don’t want them to fall sick but these are children, they will run, fall and maybe get injured, so there must be somewhere like this to look after them should there be any minor injury.
While concluding that the ministry is very happy for X3M Ideas to deem it fit to work with the state government and provided free of charge “what we would have paid for”, she implored the implored other corporate organisations to emulate the Lagos agency by partnering with government in providing solutions to some of the social challenges.
While speaking on his company’s the Lagos school intevention vehicle, Mr. Babaeko, lauded the Mr. Sanwo-Olu led administration for appointing two women to be in charge of education in the state as Hon. Commissioner and Tutor-General noting that women are great achievers especially in the education of our future leaders. According to him, X3M Ideas made it a custom to engage in intervention projects for schools since the commencement of operation 7 years ago, noting that government alone cannot provide all necessary facilities.
“As a company, we understand that government alone cannot solve all problems in a country; we feel that it’s a responsibility of companies making money in a state to give back to its immediate environment and that is the vision behind this and similar intervention efforts we have made in the past. We do this because we feel it’s important because if we provide for these students, they will grow up as responsible citizens,” he noted.
Commenting on the rationale behind the provision of the counseling Centre and the Library, Babaeko explained that the spate of youth and people (in general) experiencing mental and psychological depression indicates they need avenues to talk to expert counselors. “I think the counseling room is very vital in the period when we have an increasing spate of depression and suicides going on around the world, Nigeria not an exception. We need to manage our mental health and the first way to start this is by providing the counseling room where students can talk to someone and get help”, he noted.
Promising, “If we have more we will do bigger projects”, the X3M Ideas’ CEO called on other corporate organizations to emulate this step and help the community where they are making profit, advising that it should not “be because someone should see you are doing something, it should be on your conscience that you work and make profit in this community, hence, you cannot close your eyes while the infrastructure in the community is going down just because you think the government should do it.
He noted, “Yes the government has responsibilities but as a corporate organization we also have responsibilities”, pointing out that “all the countries we compare ourselves to, this is what they do too to lift the society”.
The TG/PS Education district VI-Mr Otunba Olusanya was represented by Director, School Support & Special Projects, Mrs. Bukunola Aremu. Also present were Mr. Biodun Oni of the Ministry of Education and the school principal of Agidinbgi Junior High School, Mr. Ayodeji Ojo among many other functionaries of the Lagos State Ministry of education.
Other dignitaries included Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Government and Ayeni Adekunle, Founder/CEO, BHM Group.