In celebrating International Day of Education, group chief executive, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, donated 800 Nigerian Oil and Gas books to 15 universities and two national libraries across Nigeria with the aim of educating students and the public on the country’s oil and gas sector which to date forms the mainstay of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria alongside other United Nations (UN) member states marked the first-ever International Day of Education on January 24, 2019, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Speaking on the donation, Tinubu said, “I am personally vested in all things that pertain to education. Formal education is the first step to creating a brighter future. “I believe, like Benjamin Franklin, that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. The more knowledgeable an individual is the better; knowledge that goes beyond one’s comfort zone enlightens them and creates so much more opportunities. “Thus, I believe regardless of interest or calling it’s important that our youth understand the intricacies and rich history of the Nigerian oil and gas industry which accounts for a large part of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.” The Nigerian oil and gas sector suffers from a skills shortage that is compounded by a small pool of homegrown talent, as a result of poor educational infrastructure and facilities. This challenge is not peculiar to Nigeria and can be felt across the region. In order to bridge this gap educational institutions, corporates, and individuals are facilitating programmes such as knowledge transfer sessions and donation of key learning materials to support the development of actors in the sector. Wale Tinubu’s passion for imparting knowledge through education is unparalleled and is most evident in Oando’s CSR activities. In 2011, Oando launched its independent charity, Oando Foundation, to support the Nigerian Government to achieve its Universal Basic Education (UBE) goal. The Foundation’s vision is to create a sustainable and successful educational system in Nigeria that educates and empowers every child and its mission to improve learning environments in primary schools by holistically creating world-class basic education systems in communities.

In driving his passion for education,Tinubu said, “I strongly believe that the key to alleviating poverty in Nigeria is through education.” Since its inception Oando Foundation has adopted 88 schools across 23 states, awarded 1,123 scholarships to students, trained over 2,000 teachers and educated over 200,000 students across the country whilst facilitating in mentorship sessions in its adopted schools.