Nigeria’s leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in the month of October 2021 extended its malaria prevention support to an additional 5,000 households in Kaduna and Kano states.
This households were reached through the donation of long-lasting insecticidal nets and Guide to Malaria Prevention pamphlets to several primary schools within the states. The beneficiary schools in Kaduna included L.G.E.A Primary School, Dullu Tafa in Kagarku Local Government; LEA Primary School, Kanfanin Zangon Aya in Igabi Local Government and Bashir Abubakar Primary School, Anguwan Dankali in Zaria.
In Kano, Sha’iskawa Islamiya Primary School in Garun Malam Local Government and Central Primary School Wak in the Bebeji Local Government Area of the state were some of the schools that benefited. Each school received a total of 1000 of such long-lasting insecticidal nets and also Guide to Malaria Prevention pamphlets.
This recent CSR donations is in continuation of the company’s malaria prevention campaign, which has over the years benefited many communities where it has ongoing projects.
Expressing appreciation on behalf of L.G.E.A. Primary School Dullu Tafa, the Head Teacher, Mr. Funom Bawa, said, “This insecticide treated nets distributed to the students will help reduce malaria infections in the community as well as absenteeism in the school… What Julius Berger has done today will go a long way and you can tell from the joy expressed by the students that they value what is given to them because insecticide treated nets are expensive and for someone to receive one free of charge is cause for celebration”.
Malam Yusuf Aliyu who is the Head Teacher, Sha’iskawa Islamiya Primary School, Garun Malam Local Government, Kano spoke on behalf of the school. He said, “This is the first time that any company will donate items to us here. It is a very good gesture, we appreciate it and the parents will too, when the children take the nets home to them…, malaria has been a big challenge here”.
Recent statistics put the prevalence of malaria in Nigeria at 23 percent and long-lasting insecticidal nets have been found to be both effective and sustainable at reducing malaria infections in communities.
The Julius Berger Nigeria Plc delegation on this Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outing was led by Mr. Yusuf Ibrahim, Project Coordinator for the ongoing Abuja-Kano Road Reconstruction Project (AKR). He was accompanied by Akeem Lawal of AKR Section 1, Muhammed Umar, Community Liaison Officer for AKR section 2, and Dahiru Umar, Public Relations Officer for AKR Section 3. Mr. Michael Ashofor of the company’s Corporate Communications Department was also in the delegation.