By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Lafarge Africa PLC has organised Mathematics Masterclass for Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 Students of both Public and Private Schools, in Ewekoro and Sagamu, Ogun State where its manufacturing plants are located.

The company has also established a partnership with Ogun State government based on its Corporate Social Responsibility, to boost its education portfolio by teaching and training SSS 3 Students in Mathematics and other Core Science subjects.

The move was part of efforts to address the perennial failure in Mathematics and other Science subjects by students in its host communities

Speaking at separate events held in Sagamu and Ewekoro, the CEO, Lafarge Africa PLC, Lolu Alade- Akinyemi, said the focus was now on Mathematics, positing that “it is a fundamental subject that unites science and humanity which is a major reason Lafarge is investing in it to help pupils propagating their career.

Alade-Akinyemi, who was represented by Oluyemi Bakare, the Communication and Public Affairs Manager, said the Mathematics Masterclass would not be a one-off project, but a continuous programme that would enhance the academic performance of the students in Lafarge Africa’s host communities across the country.

He said, “today marks the beginning of an impactful journey that will shape the future of many young minds here in Sagamu and Ewekoro and beyond. Lafarge has always been dedicated to not only infrastructure development, but also the educational growth of the communities in which we operate.

“Our commitment is to create a lasting impact in the lives of students in our host communities, starting here in Sagamu and Ewekoro. We believe that every child deserves access to quality education and the resources needed for success.

“With this in mind, we are excited to launch our Mathematics Intervention Programme in partnership with the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. This initiative is designed to empower students, support their preparation for WAEC exams, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

“Our goal is not just to donate textbooks or conduct one-time events, but to create sustainable value for the community. This year, the programme will kick off in Sagamu, followed by Ewekoro. Next year, we wlill expand our focus to our communities in Ashaka (Gombe) and Mfamosing (Calabar).

“We believe that education is the bedrock of any society, if you want any society to develop you must invest in educating the young ones so they be better for themselves and be able to bring a better future for the community. That is why we are focusing on the communities where we are operating, we have been doing it and we keep doing it.

“Mathematics is one fundamental subject that unites humanity and sciences that is why we are investing in it to help the students in that aspect, so what we have done is to support a publication put together by an experienced tutor, Engr. Festus Obinaike this is a book that has a compilation of WAEC past questions from 1998-2024, and he is also taking them in the masterclass.

“The books contained questions and answers so we have produced 2,000 copies of the book to distribute to students in Sagamu and Ewekoro, our expectation is to see improvement in students in Mathematics, especially in WAEC, because we have carried out our needs assessment and we have seen that that area is deficient, that is why we are starting with mathematics.”

Olaonipekun Kazeem, Founder and CEO Focus Teens Foundation, a consultant to Lafarge Africa PLC on the Mathematics Masterclass Project, said that the intention was to ensure that SSS 3 students excel in Mathematics and other core Science subjects ahead of WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations.

Dora Efunshile, Zonal Education Officer for Sagamu, who spoke on behalf of the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, commended Lafarge Africa PLC for supporting such a laudable initiative, asking for more partnership in the area of educational development.

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Caption: L-R: Olaonipekun Kazeem, CEO Focus Teens Foundation; Lukman Banjoko, Admin Manager, Rural Initiative for the Development of Sagamu Community RIDSCo; Dora Efunshile, Sagamu Zonal Education Officer; Oluyemi Bakare, Regional Manager, Public Affairs and Communication, Lafarge Africa PLC; Festus Obinaike Tutor, Mathematics Masterclass and Ini-obong Antaih, Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability Manager, Lafarge Africa PLC at the Mathematics Masterclass organised by Lafarge Africa for 2,000 SSS3 Students in Sagamu and Ewekoro recently.