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15-year-old Eziaku Esther Wins UBA Foundation’s 2021 National Essay Competition

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15-year-old Eziaku Esther, a student of His Grace High School, Enugu State, emerged the overall winner of the eleventh annual National Essay Competition (NEC) organised by UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc,

Held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre at the UBA House, Marina Lagos, the ceremony that was well-attended by students, staff and parents.

For the fifth consecutive year the girls have clinched the best prize as, Esther beat 11 other finalists selected from over 7,000 entries received digitally by the UBA Foundation from students of senior secondary schools across Nigeria.

Esther won an educational grant of N3 million to study at any African university of her choice. She also received a brand-new state-of the-art laptop and many other educational tools from the UBA Foundation. She will be supported throughout her educational career and beyond with constant mentoring by the UBA Foundation.

The 15 year old winner who was escorted to the event by her mother, Mrs Joy Chika Eziaku, said she was excited to have come top in the competition, adding that the experience has bolstered her confidence; “I am so grateful to UBA Foundation for this grand opportunity. it was not very easy as I had to study hard and conduct a lot of research, but I am happy that it paid off for me. This opportunity has changed my life, made me want to learn more, read more and to aspire to be a better person and I really appreciate the UBA and the UBA Foundation for this,” she said.

The UBA Foundation’s Education initiative has been changing lives for over a decade as the tertiary education scholarship programme continues to impact the lives of many students and their communities at large.

The second prize was bagged by Nduka Chukwuemeka, male, aged 17, of Oxfords international School, Abia State, who won a N2,500,000 educational grant and a laptop; while the third prize of N2,000,000 and a brand new lap top went to 15-year old Hajarat Abdulwahab of Addy Basic School, Kano. The other 9 finalists also received brand new laptops as well as consolation prizes, including books and other learning materials.

In his remarks the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Plc Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, said UBA as a bank is happy that it has  been touching lives and making a solid impact through the UBA Foundation, adding that the annual competition which is in its 11th year,  has produced hundreds of winners, some of who have long graduated from higher schools and have been impacting their communities.

He said, “Like we did last year, we again increased the prizes to match the rising cost of living. Over the years, we have been assured that we are doing something very unique and truly African, and this is why the initiative is for those who wish to study in Africa, because we are proud of our continent.”

The MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, whilst congratulating the winners, commended them for their exceptional brilliance.  “Every student who sent in an entry is a winner. To be confident about your writing skills and ambitious enough to enter a competition to further enhance your educational path is laudable.  For those that did not win, I would say do not be discouraged. Take it as a challenge to perfect your writing skills and enter for the competition again next year” she said.

According to Atta, UBA Foundation, being the CSR arm of UBA Plc, makes it a point of duty to give back to communities where UBA operates. Education remains one of the Foundation’s focus areas as it is the bedrock of any nation

UBA Foundation’s National Essay Competition has been rolled out to other African countries including Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, with plans for more footprints in 2022.

UBA Foundation, the CSR arm of the UBA Group, is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of Education, Environment, Economic Empowerment and Special Projects

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Diamed Partners Hospital for Humanity to Perform 20 Free Heart Surgeries

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By Eric Elezuo

The Diagnostic and Medical (Diamed) Centre located in Lagos, is partnering with the Hospital for Humanity, a US-based 501(c)3 organization, and a registered Nigerian NGO, dedicated to providing free open-heart surgeries to children with heart conditions, to conduct free open heart surgeries for 20 beneficiaries.

This gesture is targeted at members of the host community, who can not afford the bill.

According to media broadcast by the management of HFH, the “Hospitals for Humanity has performed almost two hundred open heart surgeries in the last ten years here in Nigeria.”

They noted that the reason the Hospital for Humanity is in Lagos is “because we are happy to partner with the new hospital called Diamed Center here in Lagos and this partnership is dynamic because it brings together an organization who has successfully completed her open heart surgeries and a new organization to perform the surgery on site.”

The hospital added that “We select the patient based on the severity of their congenital heart disease, so they have been seen by their own Pediatric Cardiologist and voluntaries come from all over the world, we have an executive team who have come from Asia, we have nurses and doctors who come from the US.”

Lending credence to the functionality of the Hospital for Humanity programme, one of the heart doctors, Njem Josia informed that “So far we have taken three patients, and we are hoping to take several victims.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Hospitals for Humanity, Dr. Myna Shegog, commended Diamed for the partnership, and for being a dynamic health organisation while soliciting donors to continue to contribute to the project so that much more victims of heart related ailments could be reached out to.

She said, “So because we are a non profit organization, 501C3 as it’s called in the United States. All of our capital comes from donors, donors like yourself, so ask for donations because that’s what sustains our program. People’s generosity will even do one heart surgery so because of the generosity of people like you, we are able to do this heart surgeries, we are able to pay for rooms and boards for families when they come to Nigeria so that is what your donation go towards, we are providing free heart surgeries to those in need.

“So Diamed Center is a dynamic organization we have been able to partner with as this is not just a one time thing as this collaboration will last for a long time.”

Diamed Centre, located in Lekki, Lagos, began operations earlier in 2024, has continued to be in the forefront of providing first class health care.

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Tunde Bakare Celebrates Legacy Year, Thanks God @70, Launches New Book

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By Temidayo Adewole

November 11, 2023, marked a significant milestone in the life of Pastor Tunde Bakare, the Serving Overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, as he celebrated his 70th birthday. The day was filled with gratitude, praise, and festivity, reflecting the pastor’s life of service, leadership, and dedication to God’s kingdom.

The celebration began with a heartfelt thanksgiving service at The Citadel Global Community Church. The sanctuary was packed with members of the congregation, dignitaries, family, and friends, all gathered to honor Pastor Bakare’s life and legacy.

As the service commenced, Lady Evangelist Yinka Alaseyori led the congregation in soul-stirring worship, setting the tone for a spirit-filled celebration.

Afterwards, the Bible reading was taken by Fisayo Bakare, one of the daughters of the Pastor Bakare.

The likes of  Former Governor of Awka Ibom Victor Ata, Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, Former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, Mr Jimi Agbaje, Professor Ibe kachuwku and many others paid glowing tributes to the birthday boy.

A short documentary of the life of Pastor Tunde Bakare was broadcast for the guests just as relatives, close friends and more special guests Pastor including Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Bishop Wale Oke, and Pastor Paul Adefarasin. They separately highlighted Pastor Bakare’s contributions to nation-building, leadership, and community development, acknowledging his unwavering commitment to serving God and humanity.

There was also prayers for the Celebrant by Pastor Oladele, Bishop Wale Oke and Rev. Dr Babajide.

There was afterwards the unveiling and launching of the Celebrant book titled “The Last But Definitely Not the Least” led by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Governor of Ogun State,  Prince Dapo Abiodun, assisted by other dignitaries.

The vote of thanks was given by the Celebrant, Pastor Bakare, who reflected on God’s faithfulness throughout his life, sharing personal testimonies and experiences that highlighted his journey.

In his words (My father has 22 children and I am the 22nd and I’m the only one alive with 22 grandchildren).

He also said (I was trained by 3 Generals In the ministry, Pastor Kumuyi Taught me Holiness, Pastor Adeboye taught me about Faith) He emphasized the importance of gratitude, humility, and service, encouraging the congregation to remain steadfast in their faith.

After the thanksgiving service, guests proceeded to the church’s event center for a grand reception. The atmosphere was filled with joy, laughter, and warmth as friends, family, and well-wishers gathered to celebrate Pastor Bakare’s life.

The reception featured a cake cutting ceremony, gift presentations, musical performances by renowned highlife artist King Sunny Ade. and photo exhibitions showcasing Pastor Bakare’s life and ministry. Dignitaries, including politicians, business leaders, and clergy, took turns to felicitate with Pastor Bakare, praising his selfless service and leadership.

Pastor Bakare’s family members, including his children and grandchildren, presented a heartfelt tribute, expressing their gratitude for his love, guidance, and example.

In his response, Pastor Bakare thanked God, his family, and the church for their unwavering support. He reiterated his commitment to serving God’s kingdom, emphasizing that his life’s work was far from over.

As the reception drew to a close, Pastor Bakare was surrounded by loved ones, basking in the joy and appreciation of a life well-lived.

The 70th birthday celebration of Pastor Tunde Bakare will be remembered as a testament to his enduring legacy, a life marked by faith, service, and dedication to God’s kingdom.

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Quality Service Delivery: Bowen’s VC Commends Globacom’s Strides

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Globacom has received commendation from the Vice Chancellor of BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Jonathan Oyebamiji Babalola, for consistently delivering digital services to the university over the years.

This acclamation was made by Professor Babalola during a business meeting in his office at the University of Iwo in Osun State, when he hosted a team from Globacom’s Enterprise Business Group.

The VC conveyed how much he enjoyed working with Globacom and encouraged the company to keep up its uninterrupted services to the academic community.

In order to help the university fulfill its mission of creating better products and advance the frontiers of academic development, he also asked Globacom to support BOWEN University through a number of CSR initiatives.

Speaking at the meeting, Adeniyi Odejobi, the Enterprise Business Lead, Globacom, said that the company has been a major telecommunications service provider in Nigeria, providing telephony and digital solution services for millions of people across the country as well as enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, public sector organizations, and universities. It is also a digital solutions company.

According to Adeniyi, Glo has been at the forefront of revolutionary changes in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector for more than 20 years and is largely to be commended for democratizing the use of telephones and telephony services across the country over the years. “Because of Globacom, every Nigerian today can afford a telephone line”, he noted.

According to Adeniyi, Globacom also evolved a good number of innovations that have aided revolutionary developments in the Nigerian telecom sector, such as Globacom’s fully owned international submarine cable, Glo 1.

In order to advance the university, Adeniyi urged it to deepen its collaboration with Glo in order to offer digital services such as Glo LMS, Toll-Free Data, and Mobility services.

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