TO deal with transportation gaps affecting indigenous public-school college students, the Gabriel Rotimi Aroge (GRA) Empowerment Basis has reaffirmed its dedication to offering secure alternate options for schoolchildren regardless of restricted assist from anticipated donors, particularly company organisations.
Founding father of GRA Empowerment Basis, Gabriel Rotimi Aroge, said this forward of the official launch of free Cycle 2 College Plus (C2S+) programme, aligning the disclosing with the 2025 United Nations World Day of Remembrance for Highway Visitors Victims.
The programme, organised in partnership with the Lagos State Vocational Training Board, is scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2025, on the Authorities Technical Faculty, Ikotun, Lagos, and is predicted to attract participation from about 20 secondary colleges throughout the state.
Aroge mentioned that the C2S+ programme would supply certified college students with bicycles for every day commuting all through their education interval.
He mentioned that upon commencement, beneficiaries would return the bicycles to their colleges for reassignment to new college students and the Basis would additionally practice college students as bicycle mechanics, creating extra empowerment alternatives.
Aroge famous that 20 colleges in Alimosho Native Council had already been pre-qualified following a route survey performed utilizing the Strava app to map college students’ houses, faculty routes, distances and journey occasions, including that escort and journey supervisory groups can be deployed to information college students safely via designated visitors corridors.
The Remembrance Day occasion may also characteristic a traffic-safety skit presentation by taking part colleges.
Additionally, a money prize of N100,000 can be awarded to the profitable faculty, whereas members of the profitable group will obtain world-class security footwear, event-branded T-shirts and different souvenirs.
Aroge highlighted that although biking is frequent in Nigeria, lack of a structured method and security coordination has discouraged many potential cyclists.
“We’re largely discouraged by lack of assist. It is sufficient to say there isn’t a level doing this social good however we all know that many youths that drift into crime or restiveness immediately come from underserved communities. So, we really feel compelled to proceed this mission,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that the organisation had overcome main monetary challenges in clearing a container of bicycles donated by their United Kingdom (UK) charity associate.
“The Basis had hoped to obtain a waiver throughout clearing however was left disenchanted.
“We have now spent near N15 million overlaying port prices, warehousing, logistics and transportation from the port to the inland location,” he lamented.
