Lagos state model school win world literacy day debate

District Governor Origho emphasised that while digital tools offer educational benefits, early guidance is necessary to protect young minds from the exposure and risks associated with social media:

“Lions Club International is very concerned about literacy and helping children develop their learning abilities. So, we organised primary school pupils for a reading action programme, and today, we had them debate the ills of social media.

“Although there are advantages to using social media, there are also negative effects that can affect young people in society. That is why our focus is on children and ensuring that they are properly guided as they grow.”

She praised the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for facilitating school selection and commended the pupils for demonstrating articulate public speaking skills.

Collaborative Outreach Across Lagos and Ekiti States

Highlighting the operational scope of the initiative, the Committee Chairperson for the Lagos and Ekiti World Literacy Day celebrations, Olapeju Hassan, revealed that 21 Lions clubs collaborated to execute projects across both states.

Key operational details of the 2026 literacy drive include:

• Format Shift to Public Speaking: Transitioning from traditional spelling bee contests to structured parliamentary debate formats to sharpen pupils’ confidence, analytical reasoning, and verbal expression.
• Ekiti Educational Material Distribution: Simultaneous outreach by 10 Lions clubs in Ekiti State, providing back-to-school items—including over 1,000 customised exercise books, school bags, water bottles, and footwear—to relieve financial burdens on parents at the start of the academic term.
• SUBEB Partnership: Direct collaboration with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board to identify and mobilise public primary schools across the Ikeja and Maryland axes.

Reacting to the outcome of the contest, Fasipe Taiwo, a lead instructor at Lagos State Model Nursery and Primary School, expressed gratitude to the organisers, noting that despite the short preparation time, the pupils demonstrated exceptional academic resilience to secure first place.