Business a.m.
Access Holdings, the parent company of Access Bank, has reaffirmed its dedication to the celebration of Africa Day and the promotion of educational reforms in Africa. This commitment aligns with the 2024 theme for Africa Day, “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa”, which focuses on building resilient education systems that can provide inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning opportunities for Africans.
Reflecting on this year’s Africa Day theme, Access Holdings asserted that it serves as a crucial reminder of the varying educational challenges faced by different regions across Africa, as well as the need for collaborative efforts to overcome these challenges.
Access Holdings, in a statement made available to Business a.m., highlighted the vast and varied nature of Africa as a continent of over 1.2 billion people, which, while rich in cultural and historical diversity, also faces significant educational challenges. According to the multinational financial services group, reports from UNESCO and the African Union have revealed that over a quarter of school-age children in Africa were out of school in 2023, and a staggering 90 percent of children could not read or write by age 10. This stark reality, it stated, underscores the need for urgent educational reforms to equip future generations.
In alignment with this educational drive, Access Holdings stated that it will once again host the Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament starting from the Children’s Day Anniversary on May 27, 2024, in Kaduna. The event, which will culminate at the Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club on June 9, will bring together over 150 school pupils and their teachers for a day filled with sports, art activities, and messages promoting child welfare, such as “Stop Child Abuse” and “Childhood Isn’t Meant to Be a Nightmare.” As the largest charity polo tournament in Africa, this event highlights Access Bank’s commitment to supporting underprivileged children, having donated over N700 million towards building schools and providing social amenities for surrounding communities in the past seven years.
Beyond education, Access Holdings also noted that there are numerous aspects of African heritage and achievements that deserve celebration across several African countries including Angola, Botswana, Cameroon,, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zambia.
Access Holdings expressed pride in operating in these diverse African nations, each with its own unique history and modern achievements. The multinational emphasised that Africa’s future lies in its human resources and called for the continent to speak with a united voice on the world stage.
