Ikeja Local Government Chairman, Comrade Akeem Olalekan Dauda (AKOD), has flagged off the maiden edition of the AKOD Back to School Programme 1.0, an educational support scheme designed to reduce parents’ financial burden while equipping pupils with vital learning resources.

Speaking at the colorful ceremony in Ikeja, Dauda described the initiative as “an unprecedented step in the history of Ikeja Local Government,” noting that it went beyond distributing school materials but was about “sowing seeds of greatness and excellence in the lives of our children, the very future of Ikeja, Lagos State, and Nigeria.”

Under the AKOD Educational Initiatives (AKOD-EI), the council shared 30,000 exercise books, 3,000 school bags, 2,000 mathematical sets, 1,000 water bottles, and other items with pupils across the local government. Dauda explained that the gesture stemmed from his administration’s resolve to ensure no child in Ikeja is deprived of education due to lack of basic supplies.

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can give our children. It reduces inequality, opens doors of opportunity, and gives every child the chance to dream, to aspire, and to succeed,” he said.

He further noted that the program aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on human capital development, stressing that “when we invest in education, we invest in peace; when we invest in our children, we invest in prosperity.”

While urging pupils to take their studies seriously, he encouraged parents and teachers to remain “builders of destinies and custodians of future leaders.” Dauda also acknowledged Fidelity Bank Nigeria Limited for donating some of the distributed items, as well as council staff and stakeholders who supported the project.

Assuring residents that the program would be continuous, he declared, “Back to School Program 1.0 means there will be 2.0, 3.0, and beyond.”

He added that Ikeja Local Government was committed to setting a model for others by raising leaders, innovators, and thinkers who would make the council proud at home and abroad.

The event drew the presence of the vice chairman, councillors, party leaders, parents, teachers, and excited pupils, who cheered joyfully as they received their new learning materials