The wife of the Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mrs. Clementine Vervelde, has said that total development in Africa can only be achieved through education.
She said that this would be possible if the reading culture is revived and promoted among pupils, particularly those in the secondary school.
Vervelde made the statement on Tuesday during a career guidance session with the pupils of Eric Moore Senior Secondary School in Surulere, Lagos.
She said, "When I was coming to Nigeria, I planned to motivate secondary school pupils by providing them with information on career path and guiding them to choose correctly. We need to advise them on their career choice in order to secure their future. I believe the only way Africa can develop is through education. We must rekindle the reading habit in these pupils, making them to engage in research and find out things that can help them."
Vervelde donated some books and other reference materials to the school before fielding questions from the pupils on various issues regarding career choices.
She advised the youngsters to take their studies seriously, adding that it did not matter if they came from poor or rich backgrounds.
"Discuss your weaknesses and interests with your teachers. Take your assignments and tests very seriously and be diligent in reading your books," she told the pupils.
The principal of the school, Mrs. Modupe Ogunrinde, commended Vervelde and NB Plc for the gesture.
In a related development, NB Plc inaugurated a block of classrooms in the senior secondary school arm of Igbobi College, Yaba. The classrooms were recently renovated by the company as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts.
The Managing Director, Mr. Nicolas Vervelde, who was represented by the Human Resources Director, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, said the renovation project was executed under the platform of the NB/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, in collaboration with the Igbobi College Old Boys Association Class of 1974-1976.
While noting that the NB Plc understood the positive impact of an enterprise on its local environment, he said it also champions causes that add value to the society based on the belief of its management that it should be an integral part of the community where it operates.
Apart from the inauguration of the classrooms and a library, the company also made a donation of books and some reference materials.
