Mart Supermarket has unveiled projects to foster community growth and serve as a hub to promote learning in Lagos state.
The projects – Mart Recreation Park and Community Library which represent a new chapter for the Ogba community, fostering connections and empowering residents, were officially commissioned recently in Lagos.
Speaking at the commissioning, Funmilayo Bakare-Okeowo, MD and CEO of The Mart Supermarket, said that several years ago, the location of the library was occupied by hoodlums and she thought of making it useful so that children would have a place to learn, and cultivate the habit of reading.
This, according to her, prompted the desire to donate a library and recreation park to empower the community. “Nigerians are very hardworking and intelligent, but we need to create a conducive environment for our youth to display their talent,” she said.
“That’s why I had to create this library today to encourage our youth to take them off the streets so that the women will become their boss ladies and even the men will become our doctors, our professors because they are the future of Nigeria,” Okeowo said.
She also noted that it is a form of corporate social responsibility, adding that it is free and accessible and there won’t be any distraction from outside as the library is soundproofed.
“This is a sort of CSR, giving back to the community because I’ve been in this environment since 1976, my youth was here, and I had all my children here.”
“I want children in the community off the streets, to create a habit of reading because knowledge is power, and everything here will be fully maintained.”
Bode Agoro, Lagos Head of Service, noted that the recreation park and the library are essential assets to the community, as they would promote physical activity, mental health, community engagement, environmental conservation, literacy, education, research, innovation, and digital inclusion.
Agoro stated that it’s a unique initiative, adding that it will enable students in the community to cultivate reading habits and stop them from roaming the streets.
He commended Okeowo for the good initiative she brought to the community adding that it is worthy of emulation.
He however urged other residents to reciprocate by supporting the state government.
The Mart community park is designed to be a vibrant recreational hub or space for relaxation and leisure for families, friends, and individuals of all ages, while the Community Library aims to serve as a beacon of knowledge, learning, and inspiration.
The event was graced by dignitaries who came to celebrate this significant milestone and its promise of growth and development for the area.
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