Philanthropist Alhaji Olawale Haruna Ariyo has put smiles on the faces of 200 lucky pupils from the 48 Primary schools in Ajeromi Local Government Area. The pupils benefitted from the generosity of Olawale Haruna Ariyo Foundation as part of the Valentine Day celebration which took place on February 14th,, 2024.
Ariyo, a frontline 2025 chairmanship aspirant for Ajeromi Local Government used the occasion to celebrate 10 years of touching lives in the community through the foundation.
The Ariyo Foundation was birthed after his return from the holy pilgrimage in 2013 as a way of reciprocating the good gestures received while in the holy -Arabia. He provided fruits for about 500 people throughout the month during the 2014 Ramadaan season within his community in Ayetoro, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Govt. The same year, he sponsored three people on Hajj.
While describing the good virtues of the Alhaji Ariyo, Hon Akanbi Oluwa, the Ajeromi constituency 2 representative at Lagos State House of Assembly, described the politician as a kind-hearted man whose milk of kindness will speak for him when the time comes as a lot of people are taking note of his good deeds.
The Vice Chairman of the Ajeromi local government Lucky Uduikhe, who stood in for the Council chairman, Fatai Ayoola, explained that what Ariyo has been doing for the past 10 years is very glaring for everyone to see.
His words, “On behalf of the Council Chairman, we thank Hon Ariyo for what he has been doing over the past 10 years and it shows that Hon Ariyo has what it takes to make the children truly leaders of tomorrow “
The Vice Chairman urged other nongovernmental organizations to join in assisting the indigents.
The Oba of Iwa and APapa kingdom, Oba Moroof Amodu Tijani –Oluwa used the occasion to praise the people for their different kind gestures. He noted that Ajeromi is number one among other local governments in Lagos State.
“Am yet to see any local government in Lagos State that has done half of what we have done here and it is good to use the occasion to emphasize that one reaps what he sows, good or bad.”
“It will be my joy to see some of these Children become Engineers, Medical Doctors of repute, and Lawyers in the future so do not be distracted by social media and television and other ills of society, he advised them.
“Some other people are giving you ballpoints and books, today you are being clothed, and you must make these counts by being studious”
He further tasked the children to make use of the opportunities being given to them.
One of the guest speakers at the occasion, Tunbosun Ogundare, an assistant editor with the Tribune newspaper, noted that every child’s future is guaranteed through training and education, so there is a need to prioritize both..
His words, “It is an indisputable fact that a child’s future can only be secured and guaranteed, through real training. So, we need to train and not only educate our children.
That is why I will, again, use the opportunity of this forum to thank the organizers for bringing together different categories of people: students, teachers, politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders, policymakers, lawmakers, parents, guardians, and others.
In Lagos State, there are more than 1,075 public primary schools across the 20 Local Government Areas. The privately owned, either government licensed or not, is over 20,000 according to the State’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
Similarly, teachers in those public schools as of 2019 are over16, 000 and the classroom ratio is estimated to be 50:1.
It will interest you to know that after Mushin and Alimosho LGAs, which have the highest number of public primary schools, and pupils, respectively, Ajeromi-Ifelodun is within the next top two in the state. Ifako-Ijaiye is at the bottom of the mall”, he pointed out.
Alhaji Ariyo has been involved in other social intervention programmes for the people. Some of them are:
Renovations of places of worship (masaajid and churches)
-Renovation of bad/potholes on Layinka Street, Barra etc
-Provision of borehole water for the people of LayinkainAjeromi-Ifelodun LGA, Charles Avenue in Ojo Road, Ifelodun LCDA, Olawale Ariyo Drive in Ajah, Ibeju Lekki LGA.
-Aiding to fix and install transformer in Ayetoro
-Provision of generator for Ajeromi Police Station.
-Road construction (150 metric lengths and 10-metre width interlocked with drainage, Street gate, and 150-watt LED Street lights) at the end part of Okito Street, Awodi-Ora, Ajegunle.
-Grading/construction of Olawale Ariyo Drive, Gbetu-Iwerekun, Ajah.
In the education sector, he sponsored holiday coaching.
-Scholarship Awards for the less-privileged e.g. 10students of Darul-Falah Institute, Amukoko annually since 2015 to date, pupils of JO MAB Nursery/Primary School, etc
-Donation of set of trophies to Public Primary Schools e.g L.A Pry School, Ajegunle (Ago-Hausa), NUD Pry School 1 and2, Ayetoro etc
-Donations to schools (Private and Public) during Inter House Sports and other educational activities.
-Supporting organizations embarking on skills acquisitions e.g the mis Point.
-Cash/valuable items for pupils and students participating in the Foundation competitions.
-Identifying with Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT),Ajeromi-Ifelodun Branch in some of her Programmes.
-Free school uniform for two hundred (200) less privileged pupils across forty-eight(48) Public Primary Schools in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government.
His philanthropic gestures have earned him a lot of awards and titles. They include:
the Arowosadini of Daarul-Falaah Arabic and Islamic Institute.
-Patron, Layinka Community Development Association (CDA)
-Patron, Charles Avenue CDA, Ojo Road, Ifelodun LCDA
-Patron, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN),Ajeromi-Ifelodun Branch
-Patron, Old Students’ Association of Ebute Elefun High School, Lagos Island
-Centennial President, Apapa Royal Lions Club (District404B-1, Nigeria) and
-Patron of numerous houses in Private and Public Schools, among others.
Dignitaries at the event include Bales, Councilors, the APC LGA Chairman, and other Politicians
