Yemisi Izuora
Union Bank of Nigeria, through UnionCares, an arm of its Corporate, Sustainability and Innovation Initiative, recently sponsored the Ajofa Special Education Foundation for the Deaf Mathematics Competition held at the Wesley School for the Hearing Impaired at Surulere Lagos, Nigeria, with the theme “Impacting Deaf Students and Life with Mathematics in Nigeria.”
The Mathematics Competition had in attendance representatives from Union Bank, the Lagos State Education Board, Principals of Schools, and teachers. Ten competitors, drawn from different schools within and outside the deaf community in Lagos, participated in the programme.
The competition, a collaboration between Union Bank and the Ajofa Foundation, aimed to close the gap in inclusive education by creating opportunities for learners with hearing impairments to showcase their academic abilities and intellectual potential.
Speaking about the event, Olufunmilola Aluko, the Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Union Bank of Nigeria, said,
“At Union Bank, we believe that development must be inclusive. That’s why, through our UnionCares initiative, we continue to invest in meaningful partnerships and platforms like this. We also commend the brilliant students on display today, who have demonstrated that their circumstances do not define them. Rather, they are writing a new story that says disability is not inability. They are mathematicians, thinkers, and problem-solvers whose wisdom whispers and reshapes the world positively”.
Francis Ajomiwe, the Founder and Executive Director for the Ajofa Special Education Foundation for the Deaf, who communicated through an interpreter, expressed appreciation to Union Bank.
He said, “I’m grateful to Union Bank for their Sponsorship of this competition, helping bring our dreams to life. Through the Foundation, we are contributing our share to the overall goals of enhancing the educational experience and developing the deaf community. This we have been committed to upholding through organising education programmes and projects that benefit the deaf community”.
The Lagos State Education Authority, from its School Support Section, was represented by Bukunola Famakinwa, who, during her speech, emphasised the importance of the initiative on deaf learners and their community, stating that, “Deaf learners face unique challenges in accessing quality education, and mathematics is no exception. However, they can excel in mathematics and beyond with the right approach and support.” She emphasised the importance of mathematics as it empowers learners to “make informed decisions, solve problems, and participate fully in society.”
She urged the community to collaborate with the deaf community to create an inclusive education system that supports deaf learners in Nigeria.
The top three winners of the competition were Samuel Megbodofo, Tomilola Shonubi, and Opeoluwa Saka, who finished in first, second, and third place, respectively. The winners, who came from different schools for the hearing impaired competition, received branded gifts from the Bank, among other prizes.
The rest of the competitors, learners and teachers were also not left out as they, too, were gifted branded items from Union Bank.