Polaris Bank, Partners Distribute School Essentials to Gbaja Girls Secondary School, Lagos

Polaris Bank, in collaboration with its strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner, Evolve Trust Charity, continued its impactful school essentials outreach on Wednesday with a visit to Gbaja Girls Junior and Senior High Schools in Surulere, Lagos.

The initiative, which began in 2021, focuses on empowering both female and male students in public schools, with a special emphasis on the girl-child. Since inception, the partnership has positively impacted over 15,000 students across 35 public schools in nine states, including Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Imo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

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The outreach includes the distribution of essential educational items such as school bags, uniforms, sandals, notebooks, and pens. In addition, it offers brain development training, emotional intelligence education, and teacher development programmes—all fully sponsored by Polaris Bank.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Abimbola Ozomah, Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking at Polaris Bank, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to sustainable development and inclusive education. She noted that Polaris Bank, as a signatory to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Banking, aligns its operations with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

“This initiative goes beyond distributing materials—it is about empowering young girls to step into leadership roles in the future. Educated girls become empowered women, and at Polaris Bank, we are determined to close the education gap and support initiatives that promote equal opportunities,” Ozomah stated.

She also encouraged the students to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them, stressing that the Bank would continue to support efforts that promote access to quality education, especially for girls.

“Education is the most powerful tool at your disposal. Embrace it fully, because through it, you can change the world. Polaris Bank remains steadfast in its mission to reduce the number of out-of-school children and increase access to education,” she added.

Ejeh Godwin, Programme Manager at Evolve Trust Charity, expressed appreciation to Polaris Bank for its unwavering support since joining the initiative in 2021.

“We are sincerely grateful to Polaris Bank. Their consistent backing has enabled us to scale our reach to more schools across various states. Without them, this level of impact would not have been possible,” he said.

The Principal of Gbaja Girls Junior High School, Mrs. Dabiri Nwabuoku Adetoun Iyabo, also thanked Polaris Bank for selecting the school as a beneficiary.

“On behalf of our staff and students, I express heartfelt gratitude to Polaris Bank for this gesture. The joy and excitement among the students are palpable, and this has significantly boosted morale within our school community,” she said.

Student beneficiary and Assistant Senior Girl, Bankole Oreofeoluwa Emmanuella, also expressed appreciation, assuring that the donated items would be used responsibly.

“We’re truly thankful for this generous support from Polaris Bank. These materials will make learning more convenient, and we promise to use them wisely and maintain them properly,” she said.

The event culminated in the symbolic presentation of school essentials by representatives of Polaris Bank and Evolve Trust Charity to the students, marking yet another milestone in the Bank’s commitment to education and youth empowerment.